


Alan Moore is going to kill me... Some more

by Fuguestate



Series: The Watchmen Kinkmeme Metaverse [2]
Category: Watchmen - All Media Types
Genre: Crack, Dan is a kinkster and Rorschach has lots of nicknames, Fix-It, Homage, Meta, Multi, Multiverse Shenanigans, Must have sense of humor this tall to ride, Parody, Watchmen Kink Meme, definitely crack, lots and lots of meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 01:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2369153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuguestate/pseuds/Fuguestate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which our heroes journey to Karnak, make lists, expand their vocabulary, pet a kitty, and engage in extra-universal communications.  Now with 20% more crack.</p>
<p>Back by popular demand, including references from the Kinkmeme's <a href="http://spam-monster.livejournal.com/2617.html">second</a> and <a href="http://spam-monster.livejournal.com/2938.html">third</a> waves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Daniel! It's getting bigger."  
  
" _What_? Let me see."  
  
"Look."  
  
"Holy--! What did you do?"  
  
"Just turned on."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Nite Owl peered over Rorschach's shoulder at the familiar-yet-not words on the monitor. "I thought Jon said the tachyons had dispersed?"  
  
Rorschach shrugged, as he still didn't know what a tachyon was, much less how they were supposed to behave. "Maybe they came back."  
  
"It's up to 50 pages now - wait... oh god, _more_ than that, look, there's a link." He selected it and watched with fascinated horror as yet another several pages lit up the display. "It hasn't even been a day, and it's nearly doubled in size." Nite Owl looked helplessly at his partner. "How is that _possible_?"  
  
Rorschach leaned back in the pilot's chair, folded his arms and tilted his head at his partner as though this was somehow his doing. "No shortage of reading material now."  
  
Nite Owl was squinting down at the controls. "Wait..." He scanned the instruments, not sure what he was looking for but aware that Something wasn't quite right here. Then he saw it - or, more accurately, _didn't_ see it, and swore. "The modem's not on. Archie isn't even connected to the Net right now. He hasn't been all day."  
  
The display chose that moment to blink another string of text into existence. His partner suddenly found a reason to not be sitting so close to the computer and Nite Owl himself leaned away from it a bit.  
  
"Self-proliferating virus?"  
  
His partner had already recovered and was typing anxiously. "Could be. I'm running a scan now." He looked over at a readout and did a double-take. "Wait - that can't be right." He typed again and got the same result.  
  
"Another entry, Daniel. Going to take over computer's memory." His fist clenched briefly. "Could have been the plan all along. So caught up in elaborate decoy, neglected to take into account what it could be doing behind the scenes. Stupid mistake."  
  
"But that doesn't make sense - it helped us, remember? We wouldn't have discovered Adrian's plan otherwise."  
  
"Perhaps that was distraction as well."  
  
Nite Owl gaped at him. "...How could a homicidal _giant squid_ be just a distraction?? Aside from the obvious, I mean?" He didn't wait for an answer but resumed scanning Archie's files. "Hey... I don't think - it's _not_ taking over the computer." He shook his head in bewilderment, then tapped furiously at keys for a solid two minutes while Rorschach hovered over his shoulder in frustrated ignorance.  
  
He finally resurfaced and pointed to several strings of numbers on a separate screen. "I just did the math - something I should've done last night, really - and there's no way this file can even exist in Archie's memory. Not even the size it was last night."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean this thing would strain the Library of Congress' capacities with the size it ought to be. If it was going to cripple Archie, it would have done it last night when we were downloading it because it's just too big... but Archie hasn't even _hiccuped_ at it." He keyed in more commands and then laughed humorlessly at the result. "Right now, the file keeps saying it's only 47 bytes no matter how many times it's updated. And..." he frowned at the display, "okay, that's too weird. Look at the time stamp."  
  
A slightly unsteady finger guided Rorschach's gaze.  
  
" '35 minutes ago' ?"

.

Nite Owl expected Rorschach to launch yet another conspiracy theory in the face of this ever-expanding maybe-virus that trumpeted all sorts of embarrassing/horrifying things about them (some of them true, even) and seemed to be existing in spite of its own physical impossibility, but he was surprisingly calm. Maybe they were just too shell-shocked from everything they'd already seen and heard, he didn't know.  
  
As the last light of the day faded to provide them with some cover, Rorschach sat motionless in the co-pilot seat mulling over the scant information they had. Only the shifting patterns in his mask betrayed anything like emotion.  
  
"Dr. Manhattan said tachyons were causing disturbance." He gestured at the screen, "Is this cause, or symptom?"  
  
"I've been wondering that too. What little I've been able to dredge up about tachyons is that knowing what they are just makes them harder to understand." Nite Owl grimaced at the paradox. "But considering how much they were messing with Jon's head, and considering Archie's memory has developed some kind of weird bottomless pit after being exposed to them, we should probably look into it." Nite Owl's hand dropped from where it had been rubbing his temple absently. "If nothing else, Jon said we should go to Karnak anyway."  
  
Rorschach nodded, musing. "Said Veidt had tachyon-related equipment there. Likeliest culprit for this aside from Dr. Manhattan himself." He spared a glance for Archie's control panel. "Are you sure Owlship will be safe to fly?"  
  
Nite Owl sighed. "Nope. There doesn't seem to be anything actually wrong with Archie's systems except for that file, but it's impossible to say for certain if I can't track the cause of _that_ problem. But do you have any better ideas?"  
  
"Unfortunately, no."  
  
The other man shrugged in resignation. "Then I guess we'll just have to hope that Jon wouldn't have bothered mentioning the option if we were just going to fall out of the sky somewhere along the way."  
  
"Nnk." Rorschach ruthlessly pushed that thought out of his head - there was nothing to be done about it, so there was no sense in worrying. The too-cheerful glow of the monitor caught his attention again and he glared at it. "...Should probably continue reading that."  
  
"--Are you serious?"  
  
"Said yourself, helped us before. Valuable information tucked in amidst depravities. Question is, was it deliberate? Message for us to find, or just random?" He cracked his knuckles absently. "Still need to track down source, find out if this is individual or organization who knows so much."  
  
Nite Owl leaned back in his chair, fascinated in spite of himself. "And then what?"  
  
Leather creaked as it stretched over a battle-roughened fist. "Depends on what we find out."  
  
His partner let out a steadying breath. "You're right, much as the thought of wading back into that makes me nervous. There is some _seriously_ strange stuff in there." And some of it gave him odd ideas, he didn't say. He shook his head, then turned to the flight controls with an attempt at confidence. "If we're going to be flying for the next several hours, we should stop for some provisions. Neither one of us has had anything but coffee since the prison break, and I don't know about you, but I _need_ something to eat." His stomach growled on cue and he flushed with slight embarrassment. "Besides," he brightened again, "You still need something warmer to wear if we're going to Antarctica."  
  
A low grumble sounded from the co-pilot's seat, making him grin in spite of their circumstances.

 

.

 

"Don't need this many clothes, Daniel."  
  
Dan resisted pointing out the irony of that statement, given the one making it. "Ro - _Joseph_ , it's just two outfits! We don't know how long we're going to have to keep doing this when we get back; it's not going to kill us to be a bit prepared. Besides, d'you _really_ want to keep wearing stuff that's four sizes too big?" _And do I really need to mention the look you gave my button-down shirt when I handed it to you?_ He'd seen that look. He knew he had, because he was fairly certain the same expression had been on his own face as he oh-so-carefully didn't look his partner in the eye when they were hastily changing into civilian clothes on the Owlship. Thanks to all their reading, Dan was fairly certain they wouldn't be able to look at _anything_ without it causing some sort of awkwardness before long.  
  
Rorschach-aka-Joseph glowered from behind the stack of clothing Dan had grabbed. Though he'd never say it aloud, he had to concede that he would probably attract undue attention if he had to continue wearing Daniel's too-large castoffs for much longer.  
  
And he _did_ appreciate the absence of button-down shirts in the bundle he held.  
  
They'd headed West for a bit, and chosen a large shopping mall that would allow them to find everything quickly and conceal them both in a sea of faces. So far, it was working quite well. It was dark outside, which made landing Archie easier, but still early enough for the place to be busy. The news of Dr. Manhattan's doings had brought people out in droves to interact with one another - it was almost like the Christmas rush had come early. It was also causing the same sort of giddy inattention in people, which helped immensely.  
  
Not that Rorschach was appreciating any of it. The array of selections in the menswear department had made him start muttering almost immediately, prompting Dan to just home in on anything he thought might work (nothing "decadent", nothing "impractical", nothing "ostentatious"...) as quickly as possible and simply grab it. He was ridiculously grateful they could find his friend's sizes right away - the thought of having to actually _shop_ with this man made him shudder.  
  
To think that he'd thought they were keeping things simple by picking a Sears...  
  
Between Rorschach's impatience and the genuine need to get out quickly they made their way to the department store's check-out in record time.  
  
"Will pay you back, Daniel." Rorschach was looking slightly embarrassed beneath his forbidding scowl, and Dan felt a small pang of guilt. They were using his cash, as Rorschach hadn't had any with him (and if his apartment was any indication, he didn't have much to speak of anyway).  
  
"It's okay, man." Dan clapped him gently on the shoulder. "I know you're good for it."  
  
The grandmotherly clerk at the counter took one look at Rorschach's battered features and ill-fitting clothes and paled. "Oh, honey, what happened to _you_?  
  
Dan opened and closed his mouth a few times in a failed attempt at conjuring a likely story. Thankfully, Rorschach was a bit more on top of things. He kept his gaze lowered and surprised Dan by softening his voice slightly and actually trying to appear even smaller.  
  
"Was made clear to me am not welcome at home."  
  
The clerk's face crumpled a bit in sympathy, and Dan jumped right into his role. "Yeah," he conjured a downcast expression, "I'm bringing him with me for a bit, until things blow over."  
  
"Good for you, hon," the clerk smiled, and sneaked in a discount for them.  
  
  
.

  
  
Dan fidgeted outside the men's room until Rorschach emerged in his new clothing.  
  
"Much better," he handed the bag with Dan's clothes back to him. "Thank you, Daniel."  
  
"No problem - and good work with the cashier, by the way." He couldn't keep the admiration out of his voice. "Sorry I wasn't more ready for that. "  
  
Rorschach just shrugged as he passed. "Lies made of lies are difficult. Lies made of truth much easier."  
  
Dan stood staring open-mouthed after him for a second - he hadn't even considered that what his partner had said was actually the truth. But then, he reflected, so was what _he'd_ said.  
  
"Daniel - need food so we can go. Hurry up."

 

.

 

Dan was fairly certain this was the shortest grocery shopping trip he'd ever made. Rorschach took point, walking at full tilt as though against a strong headwind, his glowering aura of relentless purpose cutting a swath through any who stood in their path. All Dan had to do was keep up with him with the cart and catch the supplies that Rorschach was practically tossing over his shoulder. Apparently they'd spent enough time getting "sidetracked". Or maybe he was just hungry.  
  
As he was helping grocery projectiles land safely, Dan began giggling. He tried to keep it quiet, but it still made Rorschach turn to look at him.  
  
" _Mph_ \- sorry. Sorry..." He waved his hand in dismissal and tried without success to control the upward quirking of his mouth. "I can't help it. I keep waiting for the Pomegranate juice."  
  
He watched the gears turn in his friend's mind for a moment, and then Rorschach's eyes narrowed as recollection hit.  
  
The box of sugar cubes smacked into his chest with only slightly less-than-bruising force.

.

  
  
Getting back to the roof via the maintenance access without attracting too much attention was more difficult with shopping bags, but they managed it. Their search-and-destroy mission successfully completed (with a blessedly minimal amount of mishap), they returned to Archie and their uniforms with relief. Munching on an apple, Nite Owl re-activated the fog screen and got them on their way once more.  
  
Rorschach took his place in the pilot's seat when he went to fetch something more substantial to eat, and began sifting through entries again.  
  
"Ok," Nite Owl turned back to the computer. "What page are we on now? Here."  
  
"Thirty-four. What's that?" Shifting inkblots regarded the offering Nite Owl held out with suspicion.  
  
"Peanut butter and banana sandwich." Dan took a bite of his own. "It'f gud."  
  
" ... "  
  
"It's protein and potassium," Nite Owl deadpanned. "You'll love it."  
  
Rorschach took it cautiously and risked a bite, then decided maybe the Spam he'd grabbed could wait until later.  
  
Nite Owl glanced back at their strange... ally? Nemesis? It qualified as _both_ , depending on the entry. He watched Rorschach tense a bit at " _Genuinely gender-swapped Rorschach_ " and felt a twinge of sympathy at the seemingly gleeful cruelty of the comments there - though he had to admit, he sort of wondered some of the same things they did.  
  
They read on.  
  
"'Watchmen movie' - there it is again. Wait - we _had_ that conversation, back in the tunnel! Well, I didn't call you 'Walter', but -" He shook his head, "What the _hell_??"  
  
"Hrm. Matches previous entry on thirty-two, mentioning actors." He flipped briefly through his journal. "'Jackie Haley' corresponds to me, 'Patrick Wilson' to you. 'Zack' is the director. Now we know 'Jeffery' corresponds to The Comedian, and 'Billy' is apparently Dr. Manhattan."  
  
"I still can't picture you as a 'Jackie'. 'Walter' and 'Joseph' are hard enough." He read a bit further. "I don't remember this - you and me in Adrian's office? We were going to go there, but we never did. And I've seen 'Boys Folder' mentioned before, too."  
  
Rorschach had one hand to his mouth in what Nite Owl privately called his "thinker pose". He looked like he wanted to say something, even tilting his head up to begin, then stopped himself. "Have an idea as to what this is. Highly improbable, but have no better explanation yet."  
  
Nite Owl waited expectantly, but Rorschach seemed reluctant to continue. "Well?"  
  
"...am not insane, Daniel."  
  
"I've never thought you were."  
  
Rorschach actually stood up, turning to face Nite Owl directly. He jammed his hands into his pockets as his gaze burned into his partner. "Say it again."  
  
Nite Owl looked steadily down into the ever-changing black and white features, laying one hand on Rorschach's shoulder. "I have never, ever, _really_ thought you were insane."  
  
The shoulder under his hand relaxed fractionally, and Rorschach gave a small nod. Reluctantly he turned back toward the monitor, gesturing with his chin. "Parallel universe."  
  
The sudden exhalation beside him made him jump and turn accusingly toward the taller man, until he saw the relief on Nite Owl's face. "Oh thank god, you think that too?"

It really was the only explanation that seemed to work. Jon's "multiple realities" comment combined with whatever it was the tachyons had done - were _still_ doing - made it all fit together.  
  
"So what do we do now? Just keep reading?"  
  
"Would make sense. Journey will take several hours and we may still learn something valuable to use at Karnak."  
  
Nite Owl was about to agree but suddenly had an awful thought. "What if we find something we're not supposed to know?"  
  
"Likely already did. Without extra search terms provided by reading, would have had to follow different route of inquiry. Judging by research so far, we would have failed and Veidt's plan would have been carried out."  
  
"So... since we just used information from a parallel universe to alter the events of our own, _we've_ now become some sort of alternate reality, is that what you're saying?"  
  
A shrug. "Possibly."  
  
Nite Owl nodded slowly with a nonchalance he didn't feel. "All right - I was just making sure I had a grasp of the situation." He unceremoniously plunked down before the computer. "Isn't Rod Serling supposed to appear about now--?"

***


	2. Chapter 2

Rorschach was not amused.  
  
He was trying to be forgiving. Looking at Nite Owl doubled over with laughter, he could easily believe that his partner was simply off-balance from recent events. It could have been the thought of parallel worlds suddenly invading their own, or perhaps it was the stress of both of them reading all the way through the so-called "wingsmut" entry while in close proximity to each other (not for the first time, Rorschach wished they could read on separate monitors...) Or perhaps this was simply fatigue catching up with his partner - he was no longer accustomed to keeping such hours, after all.  
  
Whatever the reason, Nite Owl had read " _'C'mon, Timmy, stop crying! Doncha wanna get yer picture taken with the nice vigilante?'_ " and promptly dissolved into hysterics.  
  
It didn't get any better with further reading of the entry - if anything, it got worse and Rorschach growled in irritation at Nite Owl's hilarity.  
  
A gauntleted hand flailed in decidedly un-heroic fashion as his partner struggled for breath. "Wuh - we were just _at_ a shopping mall!" he sputtered, wiping at his eyes and then growling, "'Lunch breaks are for the weak'...PFFHAHAHA!...Oh god..." His mirth abated long enough for him to take a much-needed breath. "aheh!...oh- oh god, that's just terrible to think about." He paused to glance back at Rorschach, but it only took one look at his disapproving body language to set him off again.  
  
Rorschach did _not_ sigh.

  
  
.

  
  
Their bizarre and often disturbing research continued through the night and well into the next day as they drew ever nearer to their goal. It was really the only thing they had as a pastime aside from sleeping, which was proving difficult in the face of the unknowns at Karnak (and the awkwardness that kept springing up between them.) Plus, the damned thing was frighteningly _addictive_.   
  
Bit by bit they pieced together odd bits of information amidst obscure terms like "captcha" and "fanon". It was slow going, though, and frustrating. It didn't help that they could only follow links that were within the enormous file's central structure. Any attempts to go anywhere else (including anything leading to the "de-anoned" individuals, Rorschach discovered) resulted in a burst of static that made them both afraid they'd lost it for good the first time it happened. In the meantime, the few empty pages in the back of Rorschach's journal sprouted an impressive array of charts, impromptu timelines, lists of terms with attempts at definitions, and possible leads.  
  
And the damned thing just kept getting _bigger_ as they went.

 

***

"Jeez. Do I really use the word "buddy" that often?..."  
  
"-rrmnt."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"...don't really mind it."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh my god. I just figured out what those weird collections of letters and symbols are."  
  
"?"  
  
"Turn your head this way while you look at it. It's a smiley face!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"They keep wanting us to get _hurt_."  
  
"Had noticed. Rather twisted."  
  
"Is that the only way they think we'd come near each other?"  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Okay! Next page..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Interesting. Even Western story speaks of Veidt being responsible for mass murder."  
  
"...Uh. Right. That's what I noticed too."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Gah! _'Dan has to kill Rorschach'_?! What's _wrong_ with these people???"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Daniel? Only a story. Didn't happen."  
  
"...Okay. Right. Okay."  
  
"I'm all right, Daniel."  
  
"You'd better be. God damn."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Rorschach. Tell me you don't have a pink helicopter owl shirt."  
  
"I don't have a pink helicopter owl shirt."  
  
"...Thank you. Seriously."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"'Harry Potter'...?"  
  
"I don't know who it is either."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Not funny, Daniel. Am not 'adorably small'."  
  
"You're right. Sorry. Absolutely not. ... _snnrkk_ \- ow!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh, for--! I am _not_ impotent! It was that _one time_ \- I thought there was a mask-killer on the loose, my friend had just been arrested and was likely gonna get murdered in prison, the world was on the brink of nuclear _war_ and all of a sudden I'm being jumped by Superman's _girlfriend_ \--!"  
  
" _Enk!_ More than I needed to know about you and Miss Juspeczyk."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh. Oh, man. That sounds... we've _got_ to do that. You never have, have you?"  
  
"No. No reason to."  
  
"There's _every_ reason to! If you take the time to do it right, it's one of the most perfect things in the world - all warm, and soft, and gooey..."  
  
"Never knew you liked marshmallows so much."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
The hours wore on while story after story pulled them in. With some, it was an easy thing to simply imagine they were reading about other people with the same names. With others, they would finish reading and discover that one of their hands had gone to the other's shoulder without either of them noticing, or that the one of them who was standing had bent down almost level with the other to read with him side-by-side. Each time that happened it left them flustered and looking for a reason to take a break.  
  
The sleep deprivation took its toll on them both, and much of their note-taking devolved into a simple tally. Rorschach's column was significantly larger than Nite Owl's.  
  
"Ok, this isn't fair. You've been a zombie, a ghost, a vampire, _and_ a werewolf!"  
  
"Made _you_ a werewolf too. And you were a vampire."  
  
"Yeah, but you still collected the whole set."  
  
"You got _wings_. Got to _fly_."  
  
"And also got turned into an actual owl multiple times... " He glanced over when the monitor blinked out yet another expansion. " _'Rorschach with wings'_... there, you just got that too!"  
  
"Also got turned into a 'possum. Couldn't wear face properly."  
  
"Would you prefer the rat?"  
  
"Might be better than a rabbit." Rorschach shot back.   
  
"At least we _all_ got changed in that one - I kind of like that story, weird as it is."  
  
Rorschach subsided - briefly. "You didn't end up in a dress."  
  
"Okay, point, although the prompt is there for me." Dan shuddered. "But hey - _you_ weren't the target of a... a ' _boob window_ '."  
  
"Nnk. Had forgotten that." But then he remembered something else and pointed accusingly, " _Stilettos!_ "  
  
"Hey, I'm a victim of that one too - they keep making me out to be some kind of kink fiend! Just because Laur- _ulp!!_ "   
  
He caught himself, but not fast enough.  
  
Rorschach's head swiveled slowly toward him and the swirling black patterns on the mask kept him from turning away. "--Miss Juspeczyk? What about her?"  
  
  
 _~some minutes later~_  
  
  
" _GRAAAgh!_ "  
  
"Oh, hey, I don't want to hear it! Without her, we wouldn't have come and busted you out of prison!"  
  
"Fine. Will express appreciation next time we see her."  
  
"What are you doing with the first aid kit?"  
  
"Have to disinfect the console."

 

.

 

They were approaching the home stretch, both in their reading and their flight. Their eyes were feeling every hour they'd been at this, so for the moment they were both content to just sit and watch the waves of the Atlantic blur beneath them.  
  
Nite Owl thought back to the "AU mashups", as they'd been called. In light of their current circumstances, some of those stories had given them both pause. It was obvious the writers were using the concept as amusement - and it _was_ funny at times, there was no denying it. But the idea also had a disturbing sort of weight to it.  
  
"All the different versions of us from all those universes, getting thrown together - can you imagine?"  
  
Rorschach _enk_ ed noncommittally.  
  
"What would you do with a bunch of... well, _you_ s?"  
  
"Patrol." The instant response was both wistful and predatory, surprising a laugh from Nite Owl.  
  
"God, that _could_ be amazing." He smiled and they each settled into their thoughts once again.  
  
Rorschach gazed out the window, unusually contemplative. "Wonder if any stories actually correspond to another universe."  
  
"Yeah," Nite Owl settled back in his chair. "I guess if we're seeing into one parallel universe, there could be others." He looked down at nothing for a moment. "Some of them I kind of hope _are_ true, somewhere..." He thought of a red-haired boy being raised by Hollis Mason, but didn't say it out loud.  
  
Rorschach seemed to be on a similar wavelength, regardless, his pose thoughtful as he continued staring out the window. "Yes. Some of them." Abruptly he shook himself from that train of thought and turned Nite Owl's question back to him. "What would _you_ do with all your other selves?"   
  
A grin answered him. "Insist they all use coasters, evidently."  
  
The short huff of sound that came in response almost sounded like a laugh.  
  
Turning away from the window, Rorschach headed for their food stores. He settled the hem of his mask above his nose and started in on one of the last apples, glancing over at the computer screen. "Wonder if we'll see this universe in there."  
  
"I _really_ hope we don't. I'm not sure I could handle that." He gazed at it with much the same expression one might give a dark hallway in a horror movie.  
  
"How would that work," Rorschach mused around his apple. "Would we see everything beginning to end? Might change what we do, then. Chapters that never pass our present moment?" They both mulled over that possibility before he continued. "Leads to larger question, of course - which is primary motivational force?" He looked at the screen with new, wary respect. "Is that thing reflecting realities, or _making_ them? Are authors insane puppet-masters showing us our strings, or is that just hall of mirrors full of distorted reflections?"   
  
Nite Owl's head was spinning with all of these thoughts, and he couldn't fight off an uneasiness that they had somehow... _cheated_... with the knowledge they had. "When we changed things...were millions of people supposed to die?" He shuddered, hating that thought. "Or was _this_ what was supposed to happen, do you think? Were we supposed to see what was going to happen and avert it? Was all this insanity _meant_ to happen?"  
  
"Don't believe in predestination, Daniel - no matter what Dr. Manhattan says." He bit into his apple with decided certainty. "We all have a choice. Probabilities can be different depending on circumstances, but _we_ decide. We steer events one way or the other."  
  
"You sound sure of that."  
  
" _Am_ sure."  
  
Nite Owl grew thoughtful, contemplating the man he'd risked everything for. So much had happened - bringing them together, shaping and changing them both over the years to lead to this one moment right now as they hurtled onward to god-knew-what at the edge of the world...   
  
He suddenly and decisively stood, striding over to stand before his partner.  
  
Rorschach set aside the apple core, looking cautiously up into the other man's unreadable expression. Before he could ask what was wrong, Nite Owl swooped down to land a soft, quick kiss on his startled lips.  
  
"Daniel!! What--?"  
  
"I decided I didn't want to live in the universe where I didn't have the guts to do that."

 

***


	3. Chapter 3

They stood there in frozen tableau for several seconds. Behind them the monitor happily blinked forth another page.  
  
Dan ducked his head, his brief store of insanity-fueled courage washed away by the effort of actually _doing_ that, as well as his partner's paralyzed tension. On the one hand, he hadn't reacted as Dan feared he might - all of Dan's limbs were still in good working order and there were no tirades on degeneracy ringing through the Owlship. On the other hand, there'd been no sign of reciprocation either. He hadn't really expected any, given what he knew of his inordinately repressed partner, but even a _little_ sign that he was maybe on the right track would have been nice.  
  
He tried to content himself with the memory that Jon spoke of their attraction _to each other_. Jon didn't lie - he knew that.  
  
Neither of them moved.  
  
He finally risked a glance up at the violently swirling patterns and one shoulder twitched upward in a self-conscious shrug. "I just--" words began tumbling out in the silence, "I got to thinking about all the different realities that might be out there... and all the stories that didn't end well. Maybe they're all just stories, and I'm - But _maybe_..." He shook his head. "I didn't... I _couldn't_ \-- It was the only thing I could think of to say..." The words ground to a halt and he sighed, his mouth giving a rueful twist. "I won't do it again, if you don't want."  
  
Rorschach still didn't move, and Dan took that as his cue to resume his seat. He wasn't retreating, he told himself. Really, he wasn't.

  
Besides, if Rorschach was going to kill him, it wasn't like there was anywhere in here for him to hide.

 

.

  
  
Rorschach became aware his jaw was hanging open - had been for some time - and abruptly shut it. Several moments passed in which he considered the possibilities of A) throttling his partner, B) acting as though nothing happened, C) kissing him back, and D) throttling his partner some more. In the end, he settled on E) fifteen fist-clenching minutes of pacing, staring and _hurm_ -ing while options A through D looked on in amusement.  
  
He finally came back to stand behind the pilot's seat near Nite Owl, the taller man's nervous tensing and sidelong glance a balm to his flummoxed pride.  
  
"Daniel." He let his hand fall to Nite Owl's shoulder just firmly enough to make sure he wouldn't get any more "interesting" ideas. Then he let it stay there.  
  
"Have much to discuss when this is over."

 

 .

 

The sky gradually lightened and a snowstorm began brewing. The heat signature showed up long before the complex itself, but at last they could see the angled walls of Karnak looming in the distance amidst the thickening snowfall. Nite Owl listened to the slightly unhappy noises coming from the engines and hoped that Archie had had enough time to dry out from being in the river what felt like ages ago. He was still desperately holding onto the thought that Jon wouldn't lead them here if they weren't going to succeed.  
  
They approached the imposing structure without incident. They could see lights shining here and there from within, and everything seemed to be intact, but there was no indication that their approach had been noticed by anyone. Nite Owl was beginning to think Jon's statement that there would be no one there to hinder them meant there was no one there _at all_. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to land Archie right at the front door... instead they landed near an immense glass dome that would at least let them see if anyone was approaching from that direction.  
  
The wind was howling when the hatch opened, buffeting them as they disembarked. Nite Owl was glad he'd won the argument to get Rorschach something warmer to wear as his partner actually made use of the large jacket's hood (to keep his hat from blowing away, he insisted.) After securing Archie, they set out along the massive structure's walls, looking for a way in.  
  
Nite Owl staggered briefly in a gust of wind. "You'd think Jon could have left a door open for us..."  
  
"Surprisingly short-sighted for someone who can see the future."  
  
The lush vegetation inside the dome behind them mocked them with its promise of tropical temperatures as they soldiered on, but at last their search turned up a door that Nite Owl's gadgetry could overcome.  
  
It hissed open, bathing them in a welcoming warmth as they went through it. They were in a long, dim hallway - an access corridor, by the look of it. They cautiously moved forward, shedding their heavy outer garments as they made their way toward the opening ahead where a palatial laboratory greeted them.  
  
Nite Owl was in awe as he looked up into a maze of machinery. "Jesus, _look_ at this place. I thought _I_ had some stuff in the Owl's Nest..." They both looked around them, trying to make sense of the gargantuan equipment surrounding them. "Where do we even _start_?"  
  
"First need to make sure no one else is here. Seems abandoned, but can't be certain."  
  
"Well, so far the infrared's not showing anyone - though there are enough big heat signatures scattered around to make it possible for someone to hide."  
  
With that reassuring thought in mind, room after room was searched. Each one came up empty. Lights were on, as was a good deal of the machinery they looked at, but there was no sign that anyone was there tending it. In one room they found a half-full coffee cup gone cold and a partially typed email waiting patiently to be finished. If it weren't for the bright cleanliness around them it would have been rather too much like that ghost story... The only sounds to be heard were their own footsteps and the near-subsonic hum of what they presumed was what Veidt had been using to harness tachyons. Nite Owl wondered if they should try to find it and shut it off.  
  
He paused at one point to look up at an immense depiction of the Gordian Knot legend while Rorschach moved on ahead toward what looked like a dining area. He was reflecting on the outcome of that legend and how indicative it was of Adrian's brilliant-but-apparently-insane mind when -  
  
  
"Dani _AAAAAA-- ***ooph***!_ "

 

.

 

" _Rorschach!!_ "  
  
Nite Owl went tearing after the horrifying sound as fast as his legs would carry him.  
  
The other room was indeed a dining area, in a state of terrible disarray. Plates, chairs and bits of food lay scattered everywhere - and there in the middle of it all was his partner, pinned to the floor by a huge, striped, plum-colored feline.  
  
His first thought (after " _purple_ ") was _Oh god it's gonna eat Rorschach!_ and he scrambled for his laser as the enormous beast lowered its head to...  
  
...lick the side of Rorschach's face, making the ink pool in a trail behind the immense pink tongue.  
  
Rorschach sputtered in disgust, twitching futilely under the saucer-sized paws that had him immobilized.  
  
At last Nite Owl made the connection in his head. "...Bubastis?"  
  
The improbable animal gave a throaty "mmrrr?" in response, sparing a lazy glance upward toward the voice. So this was the famed purple "kitty" of their reading. He mentally kicked himself as he realized the heraldic image they'd seen on that avatar really should've given them a clue...  
  
"agh." Rorschach was still struggling under her. "Get it _off_!" His actions earned him another tongue bath, this one fully dislodging his hat.  
  
"Uh. Okay..." Nite Owl dubiously cast about for a way of doing that.  
  
Bubastis, for her part, looked like she couldn't be happier. Tail swishing gracefully in the air, forelimbs settled comfortably on Rorschach's upper arms, she began gurgling out a purr that could have put a Harley Davidson to shame.  
  
"rrgh. Daniel..."  
  
"I'm trying, I'm trying!"  
  
Sifting gingerly through the mess on the table, Nite Owl finally spotted the remains of something that almost-maybe-sort-of looked like it might interest a 600-pound purple cat. At least, he hoped it would - a vegetarian's table was a hell of a place to try tempting a carnivore.  
  
"Y'know, it's a lucky thing she _likes_ you. And she at least seems to have eaten, so she's not hungry."  
  
Rorschach growled as he tried unsuccessfully to evade another affectionate assault. "Am thrilled. _Remove cat_."  
  
"Easy for you to say..." Nite Owl nervously proffered the morsel he'd rescued from the table. Somehow _here, kitty_ didn't seem appropriate. "Bubastis... hey..."  
  
She glanced up, quirking an ear toward him. "That's it. Come over here, okay? C'mon now." Sniffing curiously, she craned her neck a bit toward him while Rorschach did his best to be as still and boring as possible. She wasn't quite convinced to leave her perfectly comfortable spot, and Nite Owl wracked his brain for any other ideas.  
  
"Er - Bubu?" he tried, wincing even as he said it. Rorschach had better not say _anything_ about this, dammit.  
  
Fortunately it had a positive effect on Bubastis, whose ears perked up at the ridiculous name. Nite Owl quickly forgot his embarrassment and kept it up. "Good girl, Bubu, come on...come on, now."  
  
Slow as molasses, the big cat stood and gave an indolent stretch before deigning to release her newfound playmate. Nite Owl risked a half-step back, then another one to lure her a bit farther away from his partner.  
  
The moment the big cat's back was turned from him Rorschach rolled quickly to his feet, righting his hat as he did so. He felt slightly better about having been overpowered so quickly once he got more than an in-your-face view of the huge animal that was currently nibbling on something in Nite Owl's hand. While his partner hazarded a brief caress under its chin Rorschach brushed distastefully at the long purple hairs clinging to his trench coat.  
  
"That's a good girl," Nite Owl gave her chin one last scratch and stood once more. He turned to rejoin Rorschach, who was inspecting the rest of the room.  
  
"Looks like cat did damage in here. Would seem to indicate place really is empty - no one here to feed it."  
  
"Poor thing." Nite Owl ignored the unimpressed noise his partner made. "I wonder where her food is kept? We'll need to find that out."  
  
"Can add it to the list of things we're looking for." Rorschach led the way to the next doorway, Bubastis trailing after him with a happy trill in spite of his grumbling.

 

.

 

It was interesting watching the two of them as they made their way; Bubastis eagerly bumping her head against Rorschach's leg to get his attention, and Rorschach stubbornly (if barely) maintaining his balance against her far greater weight. Dan had never before owned a cat, but this was giving him a whole new appreciation for the potential hazards involved.  
  
It was also giving him a rare insight into his friend. Rorschach wasn't one to put up with... well, _anyone_ he didn't want to, and yet he was tolerating Bubastis' behavior as she nearly sent him sprawling time and time again. Dan knew it wasn't from fear; a room full of armed thugs twice his size wouldn't even give Rorschach pause. This was a man who tended to leave broken bones in his wake on a _good_ day, but all he did after every impact as they walked was utter an occasional "Hrk" or other non-word. Even more extraordinary; more than once Dan caught glimpses of Rorschach's gloved hand landing briefly at the big cat's shoulder or the top of her head.  
  
The irreverent thought sprang up that maybe that was just Rorschach's version of _'You're a kitty!'_ and he barely muffled the resulting snicker in time.

  
  
.

  
  
They continued down an immense staircase to some sort of media room. There was an elaborate computer setup off to one side, and a throne-like chair sat before a wall dominated by dozens of glowing television screens. There was no sound, but they all flickered with images of news stories from all across the globe.  
  
"Wow," breathed Dan as he looked from screen to screen. Even Rorschach forgot himself when Bubastis nudged her head under his hand and distractedly scratched behind her ears.  
  
Every screen showed a reaction to Jon's doings. There were celebrations, bewildered interviews with flustered pundits, announcements being made by countless world leaders... It was chaos, but not the kind that had been hanging over them for so long. This was... _hopeful_.  
  
He looked over to Rorschach with a doubtful sort of awe. "We helped do that, didn't we?"  
  
Rorschach gave a half-shrug. "Suppose so." He tilted his head, pensive, and then began poking around the room. "Can't help but wonder what it would look like if Veidt's plan had gone through."  
  
Dan's expression soured at that thought. "Well, we've _read_ any number of possibilities - and none of them sounded all that great. Especially that 'red light/green light' one. And the one where everyone got turned into animals..."  
  
"And the zombies."  
  
"Yeesh - don't remind me! Aside from the obvious, I don't know what I'd do if something like that happened to you."  
  
Rorschach looked up at him for a moment. "Or you." Before Dan could reply, he turned away and busied himself with the remote control lying on the chair's arm. If his suspicions were correct...  
  
He tried a few buttons and channels on the screens before them began changing. Flipping through the different images, he suddenly stopped when one screen showed a desolate snowscape. He slowed, picking buttons more carefully, and the image flipped to show a view of Karnak from outside.  
  
"Hnnh." He nodded to himself. "Found security channel."  A few more adjustments revealed a view of the huge transparent dome where Archie still sat, now with snow drifting along one side. Soon interiors of the complex were blinking into view on the other screens including this room, the machine rooms, a swimming pool(!), even a kitchen facility and a small hangar. Each one (with the exception of the view of themselves) showed peaceful emptiness without a single sign of movement.  
  
Dan moved to stand next to him, gazing up at the images with their negative readouts. "Guess the place really is empty, then." He lowered his goggles to hang around his neck and swept back his cowl with a tired sigh. "All right. Let's have a look at the computer."

 

.

  
  
"There. What's that?" Rorschach leaned over Dan's shoulder to point at a string of figures.  
  
Dan read through them, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure. It looks like a statistical projection of some sort. Look - that looks like a time span, that could be distance, and those numbers... Oh, god, I think that might be casualties." He sat back, his frown deepening. "We need to copy this. All of it, or as much as we can."  
  
Quickly he fished out Archie's remote control and activated the airship's powering-up sequence before returning his attention to the computer. "I thought I saw..." he searched through its connection options, "yes, we can hook Archie up to the network and send files that way." Tapping a few more commands in, he did exactly that. "It shouldn't take too long - this rig is a lot faster than mine."  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Now," Dan blew out a breath, "we wait. Your favorite pastime, I know." He grinned crookedly at his friend. "But we have to make sure the transfer goes through. Hopefully it'll be--"  
  
The screen before him _blipped_ momentarily and the status bar suddenly shot all the way through its cycle, giving a "Completed" notification far sooner than expected.  
  
"What on earth... it shouldn't have been _that_ fast." Dan double-checked the file transfer quickly. "Huh. Everything seems fine."  
  
As if on cue, the screen's image wavered and flipped for a moment before going blank.  
  
"Oh no..." Dan frantically tried the keyboard, to no avail, and then began searching through the hardware hookups.  
  
"Self-destruct?" Rorschach looked ready to drag Dan away from the console if need be.  
  
Dan was still scrambling about the computer, envisioning all sorts of technical nightmare scenarios. "I don't know, I don't _know_... Shit!"  
  
And then the image came back with a burst of static. A very _familiar_ image.  
  
"No... Oh, you're _kidding_ me."  
  
The top of the screen read, just as it had in Archie:  
  
 **_ Watchmen Kink Meme 2: Electric Boogaloo. Or not._**  
  
  
" _Ennk._ "

 

***


	4. Chapter 4

"It _followed_ us." Dan rocked back in the chair, stunned. "It jumped from Archie to here."  
  
"Even kept our place where we left off."  
  
Dan's head fell into his hands. "That's it. I am too exhausted to even begin to figure this one out." He turned back to Rorschach. "There was a hangar in the security images, wasn't there? Let's find it, get Archie inside before he freezes solid, and then I _have_ to sleep. If nothing else, I want to be sure I'm not hallucinating any of this."

 

.

   
  
Leaving the computer on for caution's sake, they used the security feeds to get their bearings and made for Archie once more. Bubastis "helped" Rorschach with the hangar door controls while Dan coaxed the airship into one last burst of energy to get indoors. They'd work on refueling later, Dan decided - for now, they just gathered their spare clothing and what was left of their food from inside Archie and headed back the way they came.  
  
Without the potential threat of encountering someone else here, fatigue began seeping its way in again. Even Rorschach was looking the worse for wear without anything overt to fight - at this point, there was very little keeping him moving. As for Dan, three hours of sleep in the past twenty-some-odd was not nearly enough, and he was in danger of nodding off where he stood if they stopped moving.  
  
As they trudged back through the dining room Bubastis gave a mournful yowl, calling Dan's attention back to her for a moment. "Oh jeez, I forgot. She probably hasn't eaten in at least a day." He scrubbed at his protesting eyes. "Damn it, we're going to have to find her food before she gets _really_ hungry... and I can't remember which way the kitchen is from here."  
  
" _Hurrm..._ " Rorschach wasn't in the mood for more fruitless searching. Tilting his head down, he regarded his furry purple shadow and rumbled, "Cat. Where's your food?"  
  
To Dan's astonishment, Bubastis tilted her head right back, uttered a sound he could only describe as " _Rraaaarrl_ ", and headed confidently for a door on the far side of the room.  
  
The two men watched her, then looked at each other.  
  
"How did you know - ?"  
  
After a semi-shocked pause, Rorschach shrugged one shoulder. "I didn't." Turning back toward the giant cat, he resumed walking while Dan watched in amazement. "Just hoped it might work. Tired of wild goose chases."

 

.

  
  
Onward they went, trying not to feel ridiculous as they allowed Bubastis to lead them.  
  
"...You'd think with all that writing, _someone_ would've come up with a decent description of where everything is in this place."  
  
"Not that kind of writers, Daniel."

Within minutes they reached the well-appointed kitchen. Bubastis' food - an odd-looking glop in pre-measured containers - was located and doled out, to her thunderous delight, and even her weary companions mustered the energy for a haphazard meal of their own.  
  
With hunger out of the way, they stumbled on to what looked to be a guest wing. The first door they tried led to a large suite complete with five-star-level accommodations and they practically fell through the door into it. Their few possessions were dumped in an unceremonious heap and they made for the bedroom.  
  
Both of them were so tired that they _almost_ made it to bed without incident.

.

  
  
"Oh, for Pete's sake - we've been going for _days_ , Rorschach. It's a mile and a half wide, we can each have our own time zone on it!"  
  
Rorschach stood at one side of the positively Brobdingnagian bed they'd found, arms folded. The ever-shifting blots of his mask glared balefully at the mountain range of pillows rising majestically over the plain of a thick quilted coverlet and the two of them now faced off over this plush continent.  
  
Dan had unhesitatingly begun to remove his boots and the more unwieldy portions of his costume before he realized his partner wasn't doing the same. When he looked up, Rorschach was standing frozen opposite him, disgust plain in his posture.  
  
"Decadent," Rorschach finally spat, the word clearly meant as an expletive. "Excessive."  
  
"Wha--? Wait. You're saying you don't have a problem sharing the bed with me," a thought Dan suddenly wished he were more awake to analyze, "but you _do_ have a problem with the bed itself?"  
  
A hapless frilled pillow sham was held aloft in damning evidence.  
  
Dan gazed heavenward, setting his boots off to one side. "I am not going to camp out on the floor just because the decor in here isn't... 'badass' enough for you." He fumbled briefly over the recently-learned slang, but recovered admirably. " _And_ ," he pointed in warning, "I'm not letting you do it either. We both need a good night's- day's- _whatever_ 's rest, in a _comfortable_ bed." He flopped down onto it in emphasis and then added, more gently, "You've got nothing to prove here, you know. Just look at it as..." he looked up as though searching for the right words in one of the plush tapestries around them, "commandeering an asset in the name of..." his brain was rapidly running out of steam, "...of Great... Justice, or... something." One hand waved half-heartedly and then dropped back down in defeat.  
  
There was a long silence. He finally risked a glance at his friend, expecting a growled rebuttal of his admittedly weak argument. Instead, he saw Rorschach slowly lean over, hands braced on his knees. His mask bore an odd pattern and as he looked closer he could see the other man's shoulders were shaking.  
  
Dan propped himself up on his elbows with a puzzled half-frown. "Are you--?" No, he couldn't be.  
  
"... _HNK_..."  
  
...laughing. Yes, he was.  
  
 _Well, I'll be damned._ An unabashed grin stole over Dan's features at the sight.  
  
Gradually Rorschach mastered himself once more, the blots on the mask slowly taking on a more familiar configuration. "'Great Justice'. Hrm. Will have to remember that."  
  
With only slight reluctance he finally edged onto the other side of the bed. He removed his hat but kept everything else in place (including his shoes, Dan noted with some despair), and propped the pillows up so he could rest more or less upright.  
  
Dan was about to comment on that less-than-comfortable-looking arrangement when a large purple body landed between them on the bed with a _whump!_. Rorschach let out a brief "Nf!" as a large furry head and one paw parked themselves in his lap and Dan wheezed out an exhausted laugh. "Oh, perfect. Our very own bundling cat to make sure we behave ourselves..." With that, he let his eyes slide closed and was out in seconds.  
  
Rorschach sat, listening to Bubastis' contented rumble and the occasional snore coming from Daniel's side of the bed. Very slowly, he let his head tilt back to the headboard. If he spent any time threading his fingers into thick purple fur or tracing a tufted ear, there was no one there who'd speak of it later.

 

.

 

Dan awoke slowly from dreams of blue wizards, and flying with real wings, and an earnest conversation that he couldn't remember now with a shy, freckled teenager. He sighed, shifting a bit on the bed that seemed much softer than normal and wondered how long he'd slept to have the sun in his face like this. Then he remembered... It was electric light in his eyes, not sunlight, and he wasn't at home - he was at Karnak, in _Antarctica_. He was in a world that suddenly _wasn't_ in danger of ending, following an impossible breadcrumb trail of tachyons and parallel universes with his once-again partner. Whom he'd _kissed_ , oh god. He opened his eyes at this thought to see Rorschach's familiar black and white features about a foot away.  
  
The crazy bastard had slept with his mask on, and he'd actually tried to sleep sitting up. His exhaustion (and the giant cat across his lap) had apparently foiled that plan, though, because he'd listed over - probably fighting it the whole way - until he finally came to rest in a trench-coated heap near Dan. At some point Bubastis had departed for parts unknown, leaving the two of them nearly nose-to-nose on neighboring pillows.  
  
Dan had no way of really knowing if Rorschach was awake or not, lying perfectly still with the inkblots in his mask barely fluctuating in time with his breaths. He knew he shouldn't stare, but this was the closest he'd been to his partner, both literally and figuratively, in _years_. He realized with a sudden ache in his chest that he'd missed him terribly.  
  
The poor guy looked exhausted, slumped over on the pillows like he was. Dan wondered when the last time was that he'd had the chance to get a decent amount of sleep and was grateful for the - he glanced around until he found a clock - nine and a half hours they'd managed to get. His eyes were drawn back to the other man with a sigh. If he could work on the idea of "sleepwear" with him...  
  
"Staring, Daniel."  
  
Dan blinked and grinned, unrepentant. "Good morning to you too. Sleep well?"  
  
Rorschach's hand moved as though to wipe at his eyes, encountered the mask, and he paused with an irked-sounding grunt. "Fine." He put his hand back down and sat up, hesitating briefly before peeling his mask off to reveal a face as rough as Dan felt.  
  
It reminded him just how long they'd been doing without some basic everyday amenities and he scrubbed a hand along his own slightly itchy face. The stubble and grit he could feel there made him grimace. "Ugh. I think we could pass for the castaway story right now. "  
  
Rorschach tucked his legs up and one hand rubbed at the back of his head. "Wrong climate. No bugs."  
  
"True...and for that, I'm thankful," Dan concluded, sitting up with some effort. Glancing around, he eyed the living area through which they'd come. "I saw a computer in there when we came in - how much d'you want to bet that thing will be waiting there if we turn it on?"  
  
Without the mask, Dan actually got to see the ironic twist of Rorschach's mouth. "Don't even need to figure odds."

"Right." Dan looked back to him and then considered their less-than-kempt state. "Well, we may as well get cleaned up and start taking care of things." He ran a hand absently through his hopelessly-mussed hair and then noticed Rorschach watching him warily from the corner of his eye. Evidently the stories in which Dan burst in on Rorschach while he was undressed were getting to him, Dan thought. Or maybe it was the bodyswitch chapter they'd seen, he remembered with a sudden blush.  
  
"Tell you what," he soldiered on through the awkward silence, "I'll scout for another shower, and you can take the one in here. While I'm out I'll double-check Archie for the evidence we copied and then meet you back here." He didn't wait for a response; just rifled through the pile of clothing he'd dumped earlier until he came up with an outfit and began heading for the door.  
  
Rorschach watched him and then nodded, striding over to grab some of his own allotment of clothing before disappearing into the bathroom - and very firmly locking the door, to Dan's chagrined amusement.

.

  
  
A lot of hot water and a good shave later, the two re-convened at the computer in their commandeered quarters. Dan saw that Bubastis was back, drawn as ever to his reluctant partner - who, he noticed, was becoming a bit less reluctant to give her the occasional pat or scratch behind the ears. As much as the huge cat made Dan nervous, he had to admit that she seemed happy with Rorschach and he wasn't about to debate it with her. As he sat, Dan considered his friend for a moment. Rorschach was actually wearing his civilian clothes they'd bought rather than returning to his uniform as Dan had halfway feared he might, and...  
  
"What?" Rorschach was starting to frown at him.  
  
"You look... good." The incredulity in his voice would have been annoying if the sentiment hadn't been so genuine.  
  
Looking down at himself, Rorschach frowned. True, his clothes were new and he'd cleaned up, but so had Daniel - and he'd benefited just as significantly from it. "Not so bad yourself. Beard wouldn't suit you at all; glad it's gone."  
  
Dan chuckled and ran a self-conscious hand over his chin. "Thanks. It was bugging me too. At least it wasn't blond," he added, just to hear Rorschach's non-laugh. He leaned over to boot up the computer with only a slight feeling of uneasiness. "Archie has the files we copied, and I made a few discs as backups. All we need to do now is decide where to send the information." He held out a cautious hand to Bubastis while the machine warmed up and she deigned to let him pet her. "So," he braced himself, "are we ready to see what our friends have been up to?"  
  
"Interesting choice of words."  
  
"Well, they got us this far, didn't they?"  
  
Rorschach raised a brow, but said nothing.

As it turned out, they'd been up to a _lot_. An initial glance confirmed that not only had the file continued growing in their absence, but it had actually spawned yet another branch that was already approaching the size of its predecessors.  
  
Dan groaned at the sight of it. "We're gonna need a bigger boat."

  
* * *  
  
  
"Well. I know _that_ prompt isn't right, now."  
  
"?"  
  
"You don't snore, or hog the blankets, _or_ sprawl out over the bed."  
  
"Nnk."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh, my god."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Uhm. Apparently someone thinks I'd do more than just worry about coasters with my other selves..."  
  
"Let me s-- _!!!_ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"The way your name keeps getting altered depending on what your character is. Villainschach, Tailorschach... I think 'Possumshach' is my favorite so far."  
  
"They do it to you, too."  
  
"Yeah, but it's funnier with your name."  
  
"Wouldn't say that. 'StripperDan' has certain level of comedy."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"...I am _never_ going to be able to look at Archie the same way again."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Augh! You were going to die by _exploding_ \--! "  
  
"Not sure if that or the pole-dancing prompt is more disturbing."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"God. That was depressing."  
  
"Mn. Wouldn't... wouldn't want you to disappear."  
  
"...Thanks, man. Likewise."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"What the hell is the 'Matrix'?"  
  
"Sounds drug-induced."  
  
"And how is that different from most of the others?"  
  
"Point."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Yes, you have."  
  
"I have not!"  
  
"Daniel - "  
  
"... Okay, yes, there were times I entertained myself by finding pictures in your mask's inkblots. I couldn't help it!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"PFFFHAAAAAHAhahahahahahahahaha!"  
  
"Hrrrn. _Had_ to answer the shopping mall prompt..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"What on earth is the point to you fighting a bear?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hrm. List of your proclivities... how many pages would that be?"  
  
" _Hey!_ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Er, no offense, buddy, but they're right - I _am_ glad you took that shower."  
  
"Had other priorities, Daniel."  
  
"I know. It's okay."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"W... Wh - You turned into a - _dragonfly monster_?!"  
  
"Starting to feel like a toy in a sandbox."  
  
"That is what it feels like, isn't it? Speaking of which, the one before that? You don't know how glad I am that I can see your face right now."  
  
  
* * *

  
"A birthday post - this thing is a year old? I've been forgetting to look at the dates." Dan frowned. "How fast is time moving for them? How does that even work?"  
  
"Don't know. Possible days-to-minutes ratio, by the look of it. Maybe faster." Rorschach didn't seem too concerned about the issue. "Not bad likenesses in picture." His head tilted thoughtfully.  
  
Dan glanced at the image and smiled in spite of himself. "You look so _dour_." He glanced over at his friend and had to laugh at the matching scowls on and off the screen. "I guess they really do know us, at least a little."

They continued on to the meme's third incarnation. 'Weeeeeeee', read its title, which matched Dan's slightly punchy demeanor pretty well.  
  
Only partway down the first page, though, Rorschach gave a sudden sharp exhale and Dan was shocked to see distress flicker across his friend's face. He was staring with furious intensity at the screen and Dan followed his gaze to the words: _'He's just a figment of your imagination. There is no Daniel Dreiberg. And there is no Nite Owl.'_  
  
The words were chilling after the more upbeat mayhem they'd grown used to. They read the story that followed, Dan barely keeping up with Rorschach's feverish pace. Rorschach actually looked a bit ill by the end of it, making Dan reach out to put a hand on his shoulder. The contact made him start and look at Dan with something like desperation.  
  
"Hey." Dan squeezed his shoulder and mustered a smile. "I'm here. And I'm pretty sure I exist," he tried to joke.  
  
Rorschach just looked away, back at the screen. " _Horrible_ ," he muttered, scowling. Bubastis ' _mrrr?_ '-ed from under the desk at his distress and nudged his hand gently. He looked down, brushing her whiskers for a moment and accepting the rasp of her tongue on his palm.  
  
Dan would have chuckled at the incongruous sight if Rorschach hadn't been so obviously upset. As it was, he was just... touched. "Hey, c'mon -" He leaned to catch his gaze again. Touched or not, he didn't like seeing his friend like this and wanted to snap him out of it. "Rorschach. Of all things, do you really think your brain would come up with all of this?" Rorschach looked up and he pressed his point. "Seriously, man - breaking you out of prison I could see, but a plot to destroy New York with a _giant psychic squid_? Parallel universes where we get turned into rabbits, and werewolves, and cowboys? I can think of a lot of things - a lot more _plausible_ things - that you'd have delusions about before you'd come up with any of that."  
  
Rorschach frowned at him for a moment, then suddenly huffed out a breath with a slight twitch at one corner of his mouth. "Thank you, Daniel. Perspective appreciated."  
  
"Anytime. You wanna grab some breakfast?" He turned to rise from his chair but Rorschach's hand on his arm stopped him. His partner looked about to say something, but then he seemed to think better of it. Instead, he just clasped Dan's arm for a moment while his eyes tried to convey whatever it was that his words couldn't.  
  
Dan sent out a small, selfish 'thank you' to that disturbing little tale they'd read, for finally getting past his partner's seemingly invincible defenses. He clapped a hand gently on Rorschach's forearm to let him know he understood. "C'mon - we should find out what the rest of the world is up to and figure out what to do next."

A quick assessment of the walk-in refrigerator showed they'd have at least a week before the perishables became an issue, and there were enough dry goods to keep them going for at least two more weeks after that. Bubastis' food looked to be in good supply, but Dan resolved to discover a source for it before too much time passed.  
  
"There aren't any instructions with this stuff," he complained as he regarded the tupperware-like containers. "How often should we be feeding her?"  
  
Rorschach looked at Bubastis, gazing on them like an implacable Egyptian statue with her tail describing slow patterns in the air, and the answer was obvious.  
  
"As often as she wants."  
  
Bubastis purred, fangs flashing as she turned to groom her shoulder.

 

***


	5. Chapter 5

The clocks said it was mid-afternoon, but it was decided breakfast fare was still in order - even Rorschach admitted that coffee would be welcome. The sun wouldn't stop shining where they were for several months anyway, so a little creative license was forgivable. Dan found some eggs and set them to cooking once he'd (mostly) convinced his partner that while it _was_ possible to eat them raw, it wouldn't do any harm to commit just a bit more effort to them.  
  
"Have eaten them raw before. Same fuel, less delay."  
  
"Sure, with zero enjoyment and more risk of food poisoning."  
  
Rorschach made a dismissive sound. "Waste too much time on unnecessary luxuries."  
  
"Well, then," Dan expertly flipped an egg while resolutely _not_ mentioning the shower conversation, "since the 'luxury' of eating at a table sounds like it's out of the question, how about you grab some portable food while this cooks and we'll eat while we scan broadcasts in the media room?"  
  
Some minutes later, armed with fried egg sandwiches, coffee, and whatever other food Rorschach considered appropriate for a breakfast on-the-go, they settled in front of the massive bank of TV screens. The single - and horribly ostentatious - chair was ignored in favor of the sofa cushions they'd filched en route. Dan felt a bit like a kid watching cartoons on Saturday, sitting on the floor with a tray piled with food between him and his friend while Bubastis curled up nearby, and couldn't help grinning a little as he began flipping switches on the remote.  
  
Four was the maximum number of channels they attempted. New York was the obvious first choice; Great Britain and Australia were the next two, chosen for their geographic dispersal and the fact that they spoke English. The fourth one started at a Russian network, but it quickly became obvious that their broadcasts were being censored. Thus, they just flipped through other non-English-speaking countries to get the gist of what was happening elsewhere.  
  
The world was still reeling, but being remarkably more polite now that warfare had been largely reduced to a question of manpower once again. Here and there they saw footage of the glimpses people got of Dr. Manhattan as he worked his miracle, but he hadn't stayed to make any statements to anyone. World leaders were still in the process of actually admitting their lack of nuclear arms to one another, even though the evidence at hand made it obvious.  
  
Rorschach bit into his sandwich while he jotted down notes where they sat on the floor.  
His partner sighed beside him, making him look up with a questioning frown. "What's wrong?"  
  
"This whole mess with Adrian." Dan shook his head as he watched a bulletin for another set of peace talks. "Things are looking up so much, and what we've got will sour it again."  
  
"Truth has to be known, Daniel. Even if guilty are already gone."  
  
"Yeah," Dan set down his coffee. "The world needs to know that Jon didn't cause those deaths. Hell, he _saved_ everyone! And I know it's not much," he looked over to his friend, "but we can at least clear you of Moloch's murder." His mouth gave an ironic upward twist. "If we're going to be fugitives, I damn well want the charges against us to be accurate." He sobered for a moment. "Besides, you deserve credit for seeing that something was up. You were right about that, and if I hadn't finally seen it, we'd likely be dead now - or wishing we were."  
  
Rorschach just grunted, unsure of what to say to that admission, and they watched in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you think Jon will come back? " Dan reached for another sandwich.  
  
"Hard to say." His mouth twitched briefly in a not-smile. "Not sure he'll be interested in working for the government anymore."  
  
Dan looked down for a moment. "I hope Laurie's okay."  
  
" _Hurm._ " Rorschach scribbled a thought in the margin of his notes. As he continued he gradually became aware that his partner had grown silent. Looking up, he was startled to see Dan's eyes fixed upon him in a somewhat distracted manner. He immediately looked back down, studiously going back to his annotations. "Stop that."  
  
"Huh? Stop what?"  
  
"Stop thinking of me and Miss Juspeczyk in sexual context."  
  
"Wh--" the air left Dan in a whoosh and he blushed, coughing and clearing his throat. "Um. Sorry... It just kinda... popped in there, you know?"  
  
Rorschach just _enk_ -ed and continued writing, looking grimly focused except for the slight flush at the tips of his ears.  
  
"Ssso," Dan fiddled with a napkin as he tried to get back on track, "how do you think we should start?" He gestured at the screens.  
  
His partner frowned in thought, giving Bubastis the last bite of his sandwich she'd been eyeing. "Should begin with New York. Everything began there."  
  
Dan nodded slowly as a plan formed. "If we just send it to the authorities, they could just try to hide it. We should send it to everyone - all the news media." At Rorschach's raised eyebrow he added, "Think about it - if only one channel or paper runs something, others can say it's a fake. I could easily see Nova Express or the New Frontiersman doing that...but if they've _all_ got it -"  
  
"Harder to dismiss, or suppress," Rorschach nodded. "Reasonable strategy." He paused. "Could transmission of evidence be traced back here?"  
  
Daniel considered the thought. "Mm, I doubt it. And even if they did, I imagine Karnak's security system would give us plenty of warning."  
  
"Worth the risk."  
  
"Ok, then..." His partner made his way to the computer and began entering commands. He was cautious, given the last time they'd used it, but it looked like the whatever-it-was was content to stay at the terminal in their quarters for the time being.  
  
As the news broadcasts continued before them, Rorschach mulled over what little they knew about the meme, as it evidently was called. He was still vastly suspicious of it - it was lewd, disrespectful, and possessed far too much knowledge for anyone's comfort. As if that weren't enough, it behaved almost as though it were... _aware_. It had been steering their actions for days now, but to what end? There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the prompts or their responses, no single leader directing anything.  
  
He glanced down at Bubastis, suddenly struck by its similarities with her: Both were huge (though thankfully the cat was content to stay the size she was), both had a near-supernatural capacity for suddenly appearing underfoot, and both seemed inordinately fascinated with him. He huffed as the giant purple cat gave him a gentle head-butt that nearly flattened him and wondered with some trepidation what either of them would try next.

The televisions continued to chatter in the background as Dan worked. "We're gonna need to figure out where to go, you know. We can stay here for a while, but we'll be running out of food before too long."  
  
Rorschach said nothing, scratching Bubastis' head while he watched the screens and took notes.  
  
"I was thinking of just going back to New York, actually," Dan continued carefully. "I mean, reports of masked crime-fighters are going to get us into trouble no matter where we decide to set up."  
  
At that too-casual statement, Rorschach turned. "You would keep working?"  
  
"Well, I'm already a fugitive - it's not like I've got anything else on my calendar," Dan joked. "Seriously, though - yeah, I would. As crazy as all of this has been, I haven't been this... _happy_ in years. Took the world nearly ending for me to figure it out, but this is who I am." He smiled at that thought, and went back to typing.  
  
"Won't be easy." Rorschach turned back to the screens so Dan wouldn't see that he didn't quite have control over his features at the moment.  
  
"I know. We'll need to find a hideout - maybe more than one - and we might even have to ditch Archie, much as I don't like that idea. And we'll need disguises to go with the fake IDs... change our hair color and such.'  
  
"Not blond, Daniel." They shared a glance, one of them grinning and the other one with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. "And no moustache."  
  
"Got it. Maybe one for you, though, that might not look bad?"  
  
" _Daniel_..."  
  
"Kidding, I'm kidding!"  
  
There was a final series of keystrokes followed by a decisive stab on the "Enter" key. "That's got it, I think. The ball's in their court." Dan leaned back with a deep breath and then turned to regard his partner. "How long d'you think it'll take?"  
  
Rorschach's pen paused in its travels across the page he was working on. "Sources will have to be checked, investigations begun... Least responsible parties may break story as soon as twenty-four hours, spurring others to follow."  
  
"That's not too bad. The 'twenty-four hours' part, not the 'least responsible'," he clarified. "We just have to keep ourselves busy."  
  
Rorschach tilted his head. "Plenty of ways to do that."  
  
"Yeah? Like what?" Dan challenged good-naturedly. He wondered if Rorschach was aware of just how suggestive this conversation could get, considering their circumstances. His partner put down his pen and turned around with an odd gleam in his eyes. Maybe he did after all, Dan thought.  
  
Rorschach stood in one slow, smooth motion, coming to stand in front of him. He cocked his head to one side as he looked down on Dan. "Training. Need to get you back in practice."  
  
 _Oh._ Dan deflated a bit at the severe words, spoken in Rorschach's patented growl... but then he noticed the slightest quirk betrayed by the stern mouth. Interest piqued anew, he lifted his chin and stood up, reasserting his height.  
  
"Okay. What'd you have in mind... _coach_?"  
  
Rorschach moved even closer, right into Dan's personal space. Even considering the height difference they were practically nose-to-nose, and Dan was suddenly distracted by the tiniest flecks of gold he could see coloring Rorschach's eyes. He caught his breath, completely distracted at being so very close to an unmasked Rorschach for the first time. He could actually feel the other's breath for a--  
  
A sharp poke at his sternum made him jump and look down to see a blunt index finger at the precise center of his chest.  
  
"Tag."  
  
 _Wait... what?_ He made a belated grab, which was dodged easily, and suddenly they were leaving the busy news stations and a bemused feline far behind them.

.

"Tag" quickly became "Follow the Leader" when it became obvious that Dan was coming nowhere near catching his partner - not even the three sandwiches Rorschach had eaten were slowing him down. Rorschach adapted quickly to the shift, taking the opportunity to challenge both of them with some of Karnak's more pretentious architecture.  
  
"There's a... gym here... y'know..." Dan huffed from behind him as he led them up and over a seated statue's gargantuan knees.  
  
"Alleys aren't equipped with floor mats." This point was punctuated with an effortless vault over a replica sarcophagus followed by a controlled drop off a ten-foot ledge.  
  
Dan frantically skidded for a less suicidal path, marveling at Rorschach's agility in spite of himself. He'd forgotten just how good his old partner had been - and still was - at this sort of thing. Navigating over rooftops, down narrow alleys and through cluttered warehouses had always been second nature to him. Even out of costume and without his mask, his movements were instantly recognizable as "Rorschach" and inspired a bittersweet wave of nostalgia in Dan as he remembered their past exploits.  
  
The smaller man barely seemed to touch the obstacles he negotiated and was near-soundless in his progress. Dan, by comparison, felt huge and clumsy as he fought to keep up. Even so, he had to admit this was _fun_. And practical, to a certain extent - if he really was going to get back into vigilantism after a decade of inactivity, he was going to have to be able to think on the fly as well as getting back into shape. As workouts went, this was much better than a boring regimen of push-ups and crunches (if he could keep from killing himself in the process, that is).  
  
They continued, zigzagging through a museum's worth of artifacts, jumping planters and balancing along edges of fountains. As irritating as the ostentatious surroundings were to Rorschach, he could comfort himself that they could be put to use. It was very good to be _doing_ something again, he reflected. They'd been sitting too long, held in patterns of waiting rather than taking action. And he was loath to admit it, but Daniel's declaration that he would continue as a mask was giving Rorschach a surge of energy he hadn't experienced in far too long.  
  
They actually did make it to the gym, where Dan finally caught his second wind and managed to turn their game back into a chase. Rorschach held his own, diving over a pommel horse and rolling up into a run with ease, then swinging up a set of uneven bars to perch at the top and look down at his partner like some precariously balanced gargoyle.  
  
Knowing he couldn't possibly compete with that display, Dan opted for the simpler, if graceless solution of throwing all his weight onto the upper bar. He unseated his target, who leapt clear and landed close enough for Dan to attempt a grab. Rorschach ducked just in time and a series of thrown punches and kicks began, the two of them falling into a sparring match that stirred Dan to slightly giddy laughter as they moved faster and faster, returning to an almost-forgotten rhythm.  
  
At last even Rorschach's concentration slipped and Dan took the opportunity to tackle him to the mats he'd derided earlier. They grappled for a few moments but Dan, still giggling a bit, wasn't really trying to win and Rorschach eventually pinned him. What Rorschach wasn't prepared for was the bear hug that suddenly pulled him down.  
  
" _God_ , I've missed you!"  
  
The hug was quick and Rorschach was released almost immediately. Dan fully expected a shove, or rebuke, or at least a flustered " _Enk!_ " But Rorschach actually stayed right there, braced on his arms while his partner blinked up at him in surprise. After a few seconds Rorschach opened his mouth as if to say something back but then shut it again, his expression closing.  
  
Dan felt a pang, recognizing just how hard Rorschach was trying in that moment. "C'mon, man," he whispered, just a little sad. "We both know you could have died. Or I could have. Hell, half of New York, or even the world could have died. But we didn't. You can say it."  
  
He saw it then - the tiniest, briefest flicker, but he _saw_ it.  
  
"Missed you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

"So," Dan's voice was deliberately casual as they made their way back to their appropriated quarters, "I haven't really seen any more timeline-altering revelations to speak of lately. Have you?"  
  
"Can't say I have."  
  
"So we can admit we're just reading out of morbid curiosity now?"  
  
Rorschach raised a brow and shrugged. "Never know. Might still discover something important."  
  
Dan just grinned.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" 'Warning for non-human genitalia and creepy sex' ?" Oh no, they didn't--"  
  
"...Did."  
  
"Oh god."  
  
"..."  
  
"This really shouldn't be as... as. _Romantic_ as it is. God, what is wrong with m--Ohmy _god_ there's a _picture_ \--?!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Hrrr_... threatening doctors. Suppose I would do that, if hospital were necessary."  
  
"'Zombie fluff'. Heh."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Do you--?"  
  
"Have a tattoo? Uh-uh. I came close back in college, but I was just sober enough not to go through with it."  
  
"Relieved to hear that."  
  
"Believe me, so was I the next morning."  
  
"Was going to be an owl, wasn't it?"  
  
"What else would it be?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"All these stories about 'Wanda' and 'Danielle'..."  
  
"Cannot even fathom being female."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"They keep calling you a hobo. Your apartment wasn't _that_ bad..."  
  
"Possible imperfection in information sources."  
  
"Or another alternate universe, maybe... God, thinking about things like that makes my head hurt."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Ha! I'm trying to imagine what your giant robot would look like."  
  
" _Hurm._ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"The Squid and Cthulu--?"  
  
"Gives an alarming idea of scale."  
  
"No, what's alarming is how cute the story is."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Am. Not. _Ticklish._ "  
  
"But are you touch-starved; that's the question."  
  
" _Enk._ Stop looking at me like that."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"'Endless list of kinks' - am curious to know where they're getting information."  
  
"So am I!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _xxxnnttt!_ "  
  
"Something funny, Daniel? Fun-sized elephants, maybe?"  
  
" _mmmpth_ \- ha... _uhum_. Would it - _hm!_ \- would it help if I said I've never thought of you as 'Shortstack'?"   
  
"Marginally."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"... _Cheerleaders?!_ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Jesus!_ Augh... Shit, if that cat tries anything like that I'll shoot her, I swear."  
  
"She'll be fine, Daniel. Wouldn't let her get that hungry."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Curious to know where assumption that I'm a tailor comes from."  
  
"Aww, is that all you see in that story? I think it's kind of sweet, even if it is weird. I think you'd make a good dad."  
  
"'Weird' is an understatement."  
  
"Are you saying you wouldn't try to take care of me if I somehow got turned into a kid?"  
  
"Did not say that."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Ehh._ Was hoping that one would involve something like fraud."  
  
"Yeah, that was definitely a relief. I'd like to think I'm not _that_ absent-minded!"  
  
"...Author seems familiar with your talent for kissing me unexpectedly."  
  
"Er, well. I'm just glad you didn't react the same way."  
  
" _Hrm._ "  
  
"Say... Is that why you always call me 'Daniel'?"  
  
"Thought you knew."  
  
"No, I - thanks, man."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Aw hell, now you're going to be all paranoid if you ever get a muscle knot around me, aren't you?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Rrk_. Would _not_ cross-dress."  
  
"Yeah, well, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm _really_ glad."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"'Orgasm face'... oh, god..."  
  
"Blushing, Daniel."  
  
"Oh, and you haven't been?"  
  
"You're the one they call 'kinkster'."  
  
  
* * *

After several hours (and multiple fits of blushing and uncomfortable shifting) they took a break to regroup. Neither man would admit it, but the "Sandbox", as they'd come to think of it, had become quite the guilty indulgence. Certainly, there were insights - some surprisingly deep - to be had from it, and there was the challenge of puzzling out unfamiliar slang and obscure references. But there were also the glimpses of what might have been, and the outright funhouse-mirror images of some stories, and, well, _other_ things. All in all, it was hard to step away.  
  
"I think I can understand about half of the odd terms now without checking our notes," Dan said as they wandered through corridors. "It's kind of like learning a new language."  
  
"More like code." Rorschach flipped through his sheaf of notes while they walked. "Abbreviations, shorthand phrases. Common references."  
  
"Did you ever figure out the 'LOL' one?"  
  
Rorschach shook his head. "Acronym like several others, has something to do with humor, probably laughter. Don't know exact words. Suspect connection with term 'lulz' as well."  
  
"That makes sense...as much as any of it does, anyway. Did we decide that 'BRB' is 'Be Right Back'?"  
  
"Seems to fit, although usage in phrases is paradoxical."  
  
Dan tilted his head, quoting, "'Be right back, D'awwing forever'... yeah, it is."  
  
"Childish phrasings."  
  
"But kind of - well, cute."  
  
"Even when they call you 'D'awwwniel'?"  
  
Dan laughed. "I can't believe I actually heard you say that out loud. And even _you_ don't mind that one, I can tell."  
  
They turned toward the entrance to the vast domed enclosure - the "Vivarium", according to a dedicatory plaque - and were met there by Bubastis, who eagerly body-checked a hello to them both. The air within the Vivarium was significantly warmer and more humid than the rest of the complex; much more suited to the tropical life within it and a staggering contrast to the barren snowscape surrounding them.

As they strolled through the manicured jungle, Dan couldn't help but be drawn by the rainbow of birds he could see and hear in the branches overhead. Some of them he'd only seen in zoos or books, and he found himself wishing for a camera.   That thought led to a brief but hilarious image of a photo album featuring him and Rorschach smiling/scowling in front of various world landmarks, and his hand came up to hide the grin that followed.

They walked to a bench toward the middle of the dome while Bubastis entertained herself by chasing one of the many butterflies flitting about.   
  
"A lot of it seems to be associated with emotions, doesn't it?" Dan mused. "They make all those faces out of letters and symbols. It's kind of neat, really - it's almost like you can hear their tone of voice."  
  
"Would seem to indicate bulk of population there is female. More concerned with emotions than men are."   
  
Dan blinked, disquieted. "I hadn't really thought of it like that - that means it's probably mostly women writing those things." He stared into space in a mild state of shock. "But I guess it makes sense. I just never thought women could be so..."  
  
"Filthy?"  
  
"Well, that's not precisely the word I would've used, but. Uh. Yeah." He ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I mean, I've had some women write fan mail in newspapers and such, and dealt with some of them who saw us on the street - you remember that one lady who tried to set me up with her sister?"  
  
"Hrnh. Very persistent."  
  
"I'll say! But even then, I never saw anything like..." He turned back to Rorschach, who simply _ennk_ ed as his ears grew red again. "I guess it makes all the difference when you can be anonymous." He looked over to his friend with a sheepish smile. "But I suppose we knew that, didn't we?"

 

.

 

"So 'h/c' is 'hurt-comfort'," they both peered over their accumulated notes, "There's a _ton_ of that. Any ideas about 'PWP'?"  
  
"Don't know exact abbreviation. Appears to refer to blatant pornography." They both shifted uncomfortably as they remembered entries with that designation. It had become a warning flag of sorts for them.  
  
"I'm still wondering what 'GN' stands for - it's one of the sources they cite, and whatever it is, it's got information they just shouldn't have..."  
  
"Like the RP Sourcebook. " Rorschach was flipping through his sheaf of notes which had expanded from his journal to multiple sheets of looseleaf. "Never heard of either one, but both have extensive data on all of us."  
  
"Yeah, it's weird. I think the GN's a visual source, photos or something, whatever it is. It's like someone has been following me in that universe; they're describing things like my dinner with Laurie and places in my house as images - but it doesn't make sense. This is government-agent-level surveillance they seem to be capable of, but they all seem to be civilians. All they're doing - unless we're _really_ missing something - is writing stories, for entertainment. Why would they use that level of information just to play with it? And how could _any_ version of us not notice being watched like that?"  
  
Rorschach raised a brow. "Not that difficult to watch a person and not be noticed."  
  
Daniel had the grace to blush at that. "Okay, you got me on that one. But how many people are as determined as you, really?"  
  
There was something about the phrases they were studying that was nagging at Rorschach. "GN entry referred to _panel_ that led to a file we couldn't follow."   
  
"I remember. They said it showed my bedroom..." Dan shuddered at the memory of gleeful requests for "mirror porn".   
  
Rorschach nodded absently, absorbed in thought and not thinking so much about that implication in favor of the larger puzzle. Panels... he was missing something. He found himself thinking back to the times he'd been watching Daniel, hidden in shadows, unnoticed by anyone because they didn't want to see him... Interacting only with the newsvendor... Watching the passers-by, and the boy who'd sat there every day reading the same...  
  
"Comic book."  
  
"What?"  
  
Rorschach's eyes had widened in realization. "Panels. Habit of referring to us as characters. What if -" He stopped himself, suddenly uncertain.  
  
"...'GN' is a _comic book_? Thats - " _Crazy_ , he didn't say. Because it actually fit. The terminology; the cavalier attitude toward not only them, but other people they knew; the intimate knowledge of so many aspects of their lives and personalities... "That actually... makes sense." He looked a little shell-shocked to be admitting that. "Those movie posts we saw, all those actors they talk about - hell, that makes a _lot_ more sense.  
  
Rorschach nodded, though he looked irritated with himself. "Should have seen it sooner," he muttered.  
  
Dan stared at him. "Right - you should have put that completely impossible line of reasoning together from the start, Rorschach, what were you thinking." He stopped as the full implication of what they just said sank in. "But then that means we're... a work of fiction in that universe."   
  
"Would seem so." Rorschach's face was impassive.  
  
"But... don't you get it? If that's true, someone _imagined_ all of this. Imagined _us_. And... and made some sort of... what? Superhero comic?" He shook his head. "We're not superheroes or anything, not like that."  
  
Rorschach shrugged. "Never said it was a _good_ comic book."

Dan's laugh edged up into hysteria. "Well, if there's a movie, it can't be _that_ bad!" He put a hand to his head. "God, how can I even joke about that? We're not... we came from _inside someone's head_ over there if what you said is true." He stood, unable to sit still while his mind churned with this thought. "That's like saying somewhere out there _Superman_ is real, or Tarzan... anything that comes out of anyone's head." He was pacing back and forth, growing more and more upset while Rorschach and Bubastis watched him like spectators at a tennis match. "What does that say about _us_ , about anything we do? Christ, Rorschach, who's influencing whom here?"  
  
His partner frowned up at him. "No use in panicking about it, Daniel."  
  
"I'm not _panicking_ , I'm having an existential crisis," he snapped back. "It's completely different!" He looked around, the artificial paradise surrounding them not helping one bit. "It was one thing to think about parallel worlds and someone keeping tabs on versions of us somewhere, picking up details about us that way. But _this_ \--!" Dan looked at them both, wide-eyed. "We've had our lives _changed_ by that meme thing. Granted, it's been for the better, but they just _steered_ our world, and how do we know they haven't before?--"  
  
"Daniel."  
  
"--How do we know the events of our lives weren't just dictated by that other world from the beginning... And why didn't Jon sense any of this, or maybe he did and just doesn't care, he's practically a god, and is _anything_ we do really our own choice, or--"  
  
" _Daniel._ "  
  
"--have they been playing with us all along, and God, we called that thing a sandbox..." another laugh bubbled up, "we didn't know how right we were, and how the hell are we supposed to know if any of this is _real_ , or if -"  
  
" ** _Daniel!_** "  
  
Rorschach's frown had grown deeper and deeper as Dan continued. Now he rose and stepped forward, moving swiftly to intercept Dan's pacing and herd him backward until the broad trunk of a tree stopped their progress. He grasped Dan's wrists to hold them at his sides.  
  
Dan's words sputtered to a halt and he stared down, still agitated but now completely confused. "Rorschach, what - What are you d-- _!!_ " His words cut off as his Adam's apple was suddenly enclosed in a firm, unforgiving, yet surprisingly gentle mouth.

"R- _Ruh_..." All capacity for words left him. His head tilted back, eyes automatically identifying the bright green and red plumage of a _Pharomachrus mocinno_ in the canopy overhead before sliding shut in favor of the much more interesting sensory input at his throat. The pressure of Rorschach's torso pinning him to the tree quickly became the only thing holding him upright, even as it seemed to stop his breathing. Not that he was complaining...in fact, his brain rather cheerfully informed him that he wasn't about to do much of anything anyway, except let this go on for as long as possible, thank you.  
  
At last Rorschach stepped back, releasing their hands from where they'd somehow become interlaced. Dan stayed where he was against the tree while the birds and fountains chattered around them and tried to remember how his lungs worked.  
  
"Seem real enough?" The gruffness of the voice made Dan open his eyes to see that Rorschach's expression was as stern as ever, but for a telltale blush.  
  
"Y-yeah..." Dan's voice was a half-octave higher than usual and he was ridiculously pleased that his knees were still supporting him. His thoughts - and the room - gradually stopped spinning. "Th-thanks," he managed. "I feel... much better." He might have been interested in seeing how much better they might _both_ be able to feel, if it weren't for Rorschach's obvious tension as they continued looking at each other. He had his hands jammed into his pockets and Dan searched his eyes uncertainly. "You..."  
  
"Wanted to do that." If not for the blush and the sudden inability to meet Dan's eyes, Rorschach could just as easily have been referring to dropping someone off the side of a building.  
  
"Okay." Dan felt suddenly shy.   
  
Bubastis chose that moment to insinuate herself between them, saving them from further awkwardness for the time being. She uttered what might have been a "meow" in an animal one-tenth her size and the two of them reached down to simultaneously offer pets to her sizeable head with something like relief.   
  
Rorschach gave her a final pat and then gathered his notes. "Should feed her." He headed for the door.  
  
And Dan could do nothing more than follow them both, still feeling a bit inside-out (he had a whole new appreciation for the term " _Unf_ " now) but _almost_ being okay with it.   
  
  
"...So, uh. Can I ask what prompted that particular, ah, solution back there?"  
  
"Something I read somewhere."


	7. Chapter 7

With an even deeper (if more bizarre) perspective, they resolved to return to their reading. A fair amount of their motivation was still rooted in the fascination that can only come from an especially magnificent train wreck, but there was also the part of them that wanted to know what _could_ be - what might be different about their world and what might not, depending on circumstances.   
  
...Plus, from Dan's admittedly selfish perspective, it was also proving to be an effective way to get to know Rorschach in a way he couldn't possibly have done otherwise. And, miracle of miracles, Rorschach seemed to be willing to let it continue; far be it from Dan to look a gift horse in the mouth.  
  
The media room was quickly made into a home base of sorts - They could have used the computer in their quarters, but they both agreed that having this thing near the place where they slept was just _too_ weird, and there were more resources at their disposal down here anyway. So, they raided the kitchen, dragged in several notebooks and another chair for the computer desk and settled in. It was almost like the old days when they would hunker down in the Owl's Nest, making plans over handfuls of leads.  
  
As before, the meme bounced back and forth between completely twisted ideas and surprisingly poignant moments. At one point Dan had to snap himself out of a reverie in which he actually wondered whether sex with a person who was turning into a wolf counted as bestiality; a few minutes later they were left in a thoughtful silence as they contemplated a scenario in which Rorschach was permanently blinded.  
  
"Not the worst fate I could have," Rorschach admitted when they finished that one.  
  
"True. And hey, a database like that would be a great idea... I wonder if we could make this place work for that, somehow."  
  
"Worth investigating."

  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Imagining me with glasses now, aren't you?"  
  
"What? No! All right, maybe. It could be a good idea for a disguise, you know? Not as big as my glasses - something with small lenses, maybe tinted. I think that'd look good on you."  
  
"Nice recovery. Will consider it."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"They wrote... our _deaths_."  
  
"Changed mine. Odd."  
  
"I hope - God, I hope these ones are _just_ stories."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"'Frankenshach'... that's another one for your collection, and the weirdest version of your name yet."  
  
"Dubious honor. Have squid parts."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"What, Daniel?"  
  
"...Mwhuh?"  
  
"Staring."  
  
"Sorry, but... you would look _amazing_ in a bomber jacket."  
  
" _Hurrm_. Mention mascara and suffer permanent damage."  
  
"Wouldn't dream of it, buddy."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"hat... porn...?"  
  
"..."  
  
"That's - I mean, suspenders are one thing, but -"  
  
"Fetishizing uniform... _Uhlk_! Illustrated it!"  
  
"I, uh, noticed."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"'MotherhenDan'... am I _really_ that bad?"  
  
"Have always been soft on people, Daniel."  
  
"Yeah, well, I haven't..." He trailed off as they actually began reading the story that followed. Rorschach became noticeably tense after the first few parts, and it only got worse from there. Dan almost didn't want to ask, but - "Rorschach, is this..."  
  
"Bits are true." His expression was rigid, but he didn't flinch when he met Dan's eyes.  
  
They read on, unconsciously leaning closer together as they went. At one passage it was Dan who made a surprised sound and Rorschach turned to look at him.  
  
"Did you--?"  
  
"Have a stuffed owl?" Dan was stunned. "Yeah, I did. And he was green. His name was Ollie, though," he added dimly, as though that one missed detail made things any less creepy.

As they read, some of the comments directed at Rorschach gave him an unpleasant jolt of guilt, which then irritated him. It wasn't as if _he_ had done any of those things, after all. It didn't help that Dan was getting more and more affected as they went.  
  
Dan actually grabbed Rorschach's hand after a while. Rorschach let him keep hold of it when he saw the pained expression on his face, and pretended not to notice the muffled sniffing coming from his partner at intervals. By the end Dan was no longer able to hide his tears and he shoved away from the table, stumbling a little.  
  
"Shit. Sorry, man... sorry." His voice wavered and he wiped his eyes furiously. "Guess they got their wish," he muttered, " 'big, fat, drippy man-tears' and everything."   
  
Rorschach said nothing, watching him grimly as he tried to regain his composure. After a moment he reached for one of the linen napkins they'd filched from the kitchen and walked over to his partner. He handed it over without a word, watching as Dan obediently blew his nose.   
  
Dan looked at Rorschach through reddened eyes. "You probably think I'm being stupid. I just, I can't help - I can't help but care!" He wiped his nose and sniffed. "It's not pity. I don't know if you believe that, but it's _not_. I'd want to do a lot of those things, I'd want to give..." His face contorted. Dammit, he was _not_ going to start again.  
  
"Daniel." Rorschach's voice was quiet. He was looking up at Dan with a surprising expression of patience and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Have most of those things now, if nothing else." Dan looked at him in surprise and he allowed a small twitch at the corner of his mouth as he detailed his realization. "Currently standing in good candidate for world's largest fort," he began, prompting Dan to look around them. "Excessive quantity of toys," he spared a glance for the décor, "decadent food, seemingly endless reading material. Even comes with plush animal," he tilted his head toward the napping Bubastis (whose ear twitched slightly) and was rewarded with Dan's sharp exhale and the first hint of a smile. "Not deprived, Daniel. No complaints."  
  
The words helped, Rorschach could see, but Daniel's expression was still threatening to crumple. His breath remained unsteady and his eyes pleaded for something his voice couldn't manage to ask for. It was clear all the same to Rorschach. He sighed, setting his jaw and bracing himself, and stepped close again.   
  
"Go ahead, Da-- _nnrph_!"  
  
Before he could even complete the sentence arms were wrapped around him and for the second time that day he was being hugged tight. With what little freedom of movement he had, he brought his hands up to Daniel's back.  
  
Dan took one long, deep breath, releasing the tension of just wanting to _hold_ this man. He let himself have a few seconds and then before things could get uncomfortable enough for Rorschach to struggle, he eased back. Moving his hands to Rorschach's shoulders, he took in a shuddery breath and got a hold of himself.   
  
"Great," he huffed ruefully to his partner, "Now _we're_ becoming a 'hurt-comfort'."  
  
"Wasn't going to say anything."  
  
Dan's mouth twisted in mild sarcasm. "Thanks. And, thanks for letting me - " he gestured vaguely as he finally released Rorschach.  
  
" _Enk_ ," Rorschach shrugged, and they turned to resume their seats.   
  
"That's one bright side in this, I suppose," Dan mused. "I know I'm not the only one wanting to do that. If we ever wound up in that universe," He gestured at the screen, "I'm willing to bet you'd be surrounded by all sorts of people who want to hug you."  
  
Rorschach raised a brow at him. "Not sure 'hug' is the correct verb."  
  
Dan managed a weak chuckle. "Well, they'd have to get through me if they wanted any more than that."  
  
" _Hurm_. Appreciate willingness to defend my virtue."  
  
And Dan _did_ have to laugh at that.


	8. Chapter 8

"!! What the..."  
  
" **!!!** "  
  
"Wh- _how_... why..."  
  
"You l- _ernk._ Laid _eggs_..."  
  
"And _you_ were the f-father - which makes _me_... the _hell_?!"  
  
"...all right, Daniel?"  
  
"Wh - yeah, yeah, I'm ok..."  
  
"Laughing. A _lot_."  
  
"S-sorry! I'm just trying to figure out what on earth our kids would look like!"  
  
" _Hmph._ Got me drunk and seduced me in that one. Very bad."  
  
"Hey, in case you didn't notice, I was under a little pressure! I didn't in the other one, you'll notice."  
  
"Ennk."  
  
"Besides, you're a good daddy in both of them."   
  
" _Urk_. Squashing me, Daniel."

 

* * *

 

"Ow. Aha... oh god, _ow_. That's terrible. _Hnn..._ "  
  
"Not that funny."  
  
"Right, and you've never behaved that way. ' _Am fine, Daniel. Just a crowbar..._ ' "  
  
"I do not sound like that."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Wait. There's a story, in a universe where _we're_ a story, where we're just _acting out a story that **we** made up--?_ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"...Oh my god, _that's_ what m-p-r-e-g means?!"  
  
"Why..."  
  
"... _How??_ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Can add android to collection now."  
  
"At least I got that one first, for a change."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"'Movie or comic verse'. Two versions of us they call 'normal'. Same as 'canon'?"  
  
"What, you're asking me? I swear, I'm just along for the ride anymore."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"I keep wondering what this 'captcha' thing is."  
  
"Seems to be nothing but a random word generator."  
  
"Yeah, but _why_?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hrm. Interesting points made about your exoskeleton. Never did think that was a good idea."  
  
"Yeah, I know. At least it only broke my arm. I really don't know what I was thinking when I made that."  
  
"Possibly an attempt to compensate for your natural sympathetic tendencies by putting impersonal technological filter between yourself and humanity."  
  
"...wow, man."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Oh, for - ... Boxers. _Men's_ boxers. Blue ones. No lace at all. All right?  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Patrick Wilson did 'The Full Monty'. Huh. Wonder what that is."  
  
"Have a bad feeling, if they want to know what I'd think of it."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What the owl said - Is that. How you. What you."  
  
"How I felt? Yeah. And how I feel. About us."  
  
"..."  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Fine. ...Feel badly for the 'possum."  
  
"Me too. Maybe they'll figure something out."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Whoa. I'm starting to see what they mean about the captcha. "comics otherwise" is just too weird for a random selection of two words."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Ha! They just applied Rule 63 to Archie!"  
  
"'Minerva' - namesake is certainly appropriate, even if nickname is as undignified as your ship's."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Jeez, could you imagine, people dressing like _us_ for Halloween?"  
  
"Unwise."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"What the... Oh shit, someone put out an _ad_ -"  
  
"- soliciting _sex_ , impersonating -"  
  
"- _you_ and **_Jon_**?!?"  
  
" _rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..._ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Wow. I hadn't realized that one was set in our present time. That makes so much more sense that they - uh..."  
  
"That they what?"  
  
"Well. Let's just say those three are having the best sex I never had."  
  
" _ghlk._ "  
  
"At least they're using condoms. And I'm trying to work out what the sound of the band would be."  
  
"Not going to sing, Daniel."  
  
"You're no fun."  
  
  
* * *  
  
" _Enk_. Almost underwent a lobotomy. Caseworker successfully argued against it, sent me to Charleton instead."  
  
"Jeez. If they're still alive, remind me to thank them."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Another Halloween thread."  
  
"Yeah - hey, there's a pic--oh. _Ulp._ Uhm. For the record, you can try on my costume any time you want."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Made you a prostitute now. _Nk_. "  
  
"Yeah... and a bad one at that. Sheesh."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Hrrn,_ posing for a calendar?"  
  
"Oh good god, that's just embarrassing. I'm so glad my mother never did anything like that."  
  
"..."  
  
"Wait - you're picturing me like that, aren't you!?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hey - I _liked_ the Owlcar!"  
  
"Was impractical."  
  
"You just didn't like how I drove it."  
  
"Fewer obstacles in air."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Alien? That movie had me creeped out for a week after I saw it. I'm not sure I can read that one."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Hmp._ Am not _tiny_."  
  
"And carrying you like some bride in a magazine sounds dangerous."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Wwwell. Those are kinks, all right."  
  
"What is-- never mind. Don't want to know."  
  
"Good, because I don't know either. I've never even heard of some of these!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Ok. You know what? After that prompt, we're going to have Thanksgiving somehow."  
  
"Might be difficult, considering fugitive status."  
  
"I don't care. We're gonna do it."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Haha! Aww. I could just imagine you making orange juice."  
  
"Would likely make the mess they describe. Not sure how helpful that would be."  
  
"It'd still make me feel better, I promise."  
  
"Duly noted."  
  
  
* * *

"'Walter/Laurie bodyswap'... oh, man. Hey - you okay?"  
  
"Feel slightly ill."  
  
"Thinking about being in her body, or what she'd do to yours?"  
  
"Both."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"... _do_ you sleepwalk?"  
  
"Not that I know of."  
  
  
* * *

  
  
Perhaps inspired by the last story, Dan gave a jaw-creaking yawn. "How long have we been at this? I'm exhausted just sitting here."  
  
Rorschach didn't look much better, though he was still forcing his posture upright. "Should get some rest." He looked appraisingly at Dan. "Need to be up early to train."  
  
Dan smiled in spite of his apprehension at having Rorschach as a fitness coach. "Sounds good to me."  
  
They did all right preparing for sleep until they actually reached the bed, pausing and staring at each other from either side. The last time they were here they'd both been dead on their feet - and in costume - and simply collapsed on top of the bedclothes. Today's events made this... _very_ different.  
  
"Uh, Rorschach? If you want, there's another guest suite, I could -"  
  
"Hn?" Rorschach looked up from where he was frowning in thought (mulling over much the same things Dan was, though he'd never admit it) and it took him a moment to register what Dan said. " _Nh._ Wasteful to use another room." As if daring Dan to disagree with him, he began turning down the covers.  
  
Dan hesitated only a few seconds before shrugging and stripping down to a t-shirt and the aforementioned blue boxers. Rorschach took a bit longer, finally climbing under the covers with undershirt and trousers still firmly in place.  
  
The blankets were pulled up and each of them reached out and switched off his bedside lamp.

  
  
.

  
  
"Rorschach?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"After everything we've been reading, I really have to ask you something."  
  
"...What?"  
  
"When's your birthday?"  
  
"… _What_?"  
  
"Your _birthday_. I just realized, we've been reading all this crazy stuff and finding out all these... really _personal_ things about each other, but I still don't know that about you. It just feels backward, somehow."  
  
"Not an important detail."  
  
"It is to me. I mean, you're my best friend, and - Well, I'd at least like to be able to wish you a happy birthday at the right time. You've done it for _me_. And I'd rather learn it from you than some police report or something."   
  
" _Hhhn_...March twenty-first."  
  
"Thanks, man. It means a lot to me."  
  
"...Daniel?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Noticed you don't call me 'Walter'."  
  
"Well... no. I never really thought about it, but I've always only known you as 'Rorschach'. I'm sorry, I can -"  
  
"No. No apology needed."  
  
"Okay. Heh. This is reminding me of sleepovers when I was a kid."  
  
"?"  
  
"Didn't you ever - no, I guess not. When I was little, I'd invite friends over to stay the night, or I'd go to their house. We'd end up staying awake half the night talking in the dark - making each other laugh until our parents caught us, or scaring each other with ghost stories, stuff like that."  
  
"Hrnh."  
  
"It's silly, I know. We should get some rest. G'night, buddy."  
  
"...Not silly. Good night, Daniel."

.

 

Rorschach awoke from fitful dreams to the sensation of a very large, very _warm_ feline body settling much closer to him than was comfortable. He curbed the impulse to push back and instead rolled away toward the center of the bed. It worked for a few moments and he was just drifting off again when he felt Bubastis shift and then softly _whuff_ back down against him.  
  
Several seconds passed in which Rorschach seriously debated the wisdom of getting into a turf war with a genetically modified lynx (who was arguably in her own territory). Ultimately, for the sake of the bed and his partner sleeping soundly on the other side of it, he decided to re-try a strategic retreat.  
  
It would have worked, except he somehow misjudged his location in the bed. Instead of moving into an empty expanse, he found his progress almost immediately blocked by another, very _human_ body.  
  
The surprise of being suddenly nose-to-nape with Daniel actually rendered him immobile for a few seconds, trying not to breathe and keeping his hand hovering where he'd been about to set it down. Daniel shifted in his sleep, making Rorschach practically quiver with the effort of holding still, then settled back with a sigh.  
  
The thought flickered briefly through Rorschach's mind that he would have to speak with Daniel about his dangerous habit of sleeping so deeply just before he realized he should be rolling away again in case...  
  
Bubastis' furry bulk _whuff_ -ed down against him. Again.  
  
" _Enk._ "  
  
He was trapped. Bubastis was braced against him in such a way that he couldn't move her without shoving against Daniel, and the thought of waking his partner and revealing such a ludicrous predicament was simply unacceptable.  
  
His hand still hovered ridiculously and he was about to pull it back when the large body behind him began rocking - the cat was _bathing_ now. The motion was strong enough that he had to tense against it, or else risk being shoved into Daniel. He was just getting set to lose his patience once and for all when a particularly forceful nudge made his hand automatically come down to brace himself... right around Daniel's midsection.  
  
The warmth of Daniel's back against his chest barely registered in the face of the (no, it was _not_ panic) when he felt the other man stir and make a soft, incoherent sound. Using the caution one normally reserves for high explosives, he tried to retrieve his hand while still holding his weight away from Daniel's still-sleeping (he _hoped_ ) form. Daniel apparently had other ideas though, because his hand was almost immediately captured by a larger, sleep-clumsy one.  
  
"nnh... d'nn guhh..." As if to emphasize his point, Daniel's arm moved to rest over Rorschach's, pulling him to lie curled up against his back. For a long time Rorschach lay wide awake in the dark while Daniel's breathing settled back into a not-quite snore. It was in near-perfect counterpoint to the purring behind them.  
  
.  
  
Rorschach awoke much more slowly than his wont, at first aware only of warmth and something his severely fogged brain finally identified as "comfort". There was something firmly at his back, preventing anything from sneaking behind him, which was good. There was also something solid in front of him, and his hand was resting on something soft. His fingers flexed automatically to identify it. It was...  
  
 _Daniel_.  
  
His eyes shot open and an embarrassing gasp escaped him just as the man in question stirred.  
  
"Good morning, Rorschach..." His voice rose slightly in bemusement. He didn't sound at all disturbed by their present position, but Rorschach still felt a need to explain.  
  
"Nnk. _Cat_..." was all he could manage.  
  
Daniel leaned up, craning his head around to peer myopically at the furry roadblock behind Rorschach. He snorted in amusement. "Good morning, Bubu. Hope we're not crowding you."

As if in answer, Bubastis gave a slow _meowlf_ of a yawn and stretched, pushing Rorschach flush into the man in front of him. Dan _oof_ ed and laughingly held his ground while his partner growled in discomfort between them.  
  
"Doing that on _purpose_."  
  
"Aw, she likes you."  
  
"Starting to think you and she have been talking." His muscles were starting to quake with the effort of keeping himself from pressing _too_ close to Daniel.  
  
Dan, still grinning, resisted the impulse to mirror the large cat's actions and press back into him. "Well, I'll admit that I can think of worse ways to wake up in the morning." He squeezed Rorschach's hand briefly where it still lay trapped beneath his arm.  
  
Rorschach just grunted, turning his head back toward Bubastis. " _Up._ "  
  
She actually obeyed, albeit at her own pace, and Rorschach ignored the wistfulness he could hear in his partner's sigh as he slipped his arm free. "Should have been up by now. Need to train."  
  
Dan halted mid-stretch. "What about breakfast?"  
  
The mattress heaved and suddenly Rorschach was looming over him, nearly nose-to-nose and bracketing Dan's shoulders between his arms. Dan gulped up at the glower that was mere centimeters above him.  
  
"Need to _earn_ breakfast, Daniel."  
  
Dan could have sworn he heard a half-smile in his dour partner's voice and mustered a momentary bravado. "Oh really?" He leaned up the tiniest bit and watched the predatory glint flare in Rorschach's eyes. "And just how do you propose I do that?"   
  
Rorschach's head tilted as though considering, conveniently (Dan thought) bringing their faces close to touching. Abruptly he sat up, launching himself off the bed. "Suit up." When Dan looked over in flustered bafflement he could see his partner pawing through the Nite Owl costume until he came away with the goggles. Closing his fingers over them, he turned to fix a steely gaze on Dan.   
  
"Find me. Thirty minutes."  
  
"Or--?"  
  
"Or I'll find you."   
  
In one smooth motion he scooped up the fragments of his own costume, and then he was gone.  
  
Dan could only hear a few parting footsteps before the lush carpet muffled the sound, leaving him to squint over at Bubastis. A chuckle escaped him as he still sat in sleep-tousled disarray. "I think I've just been flirted with."

  
  
* * *  



	9. Chapter 9

An hour and a half later, Dan was debating the benefits of Rorschach's "flirtations" as he nursed his bruises and sore muscles.  
  
"Damn…" He looked over at Rorschach as they settled at the counter with their plates. "You make one hellish fitness coach, you know that?"  
  
"Take that as a compliment." Rorschach handed over the stack of toast rather than watch Dan wince while reaching for it.  
  
They ate quickly in silence, each of them eager to see if anything had come of their efforts yet. As Dan finished, he grimaced at the overheated feel of his costume. "Ugh. All right, since you insisted on the impromptu workout, _I'm_ insisting we wash up and change before sitting in each other's company for any real amount of time." He rose carefully but with dignity intact and fixed Rorschach with a stern look. "Media room, twenty minutes."  
  
"Or--?"  
  
His mouth quirked upward. "Or I'll come find you again."  
  
Rorschach was left sputtering into his coffee.  
  
.  
  
They kept their sights on New York this time, with the international stations muted in the background. Dan found himself in the ironic position of being disappointed that the only news they could seem to find revolved around the "new millennium" of a world free of nuclear weapons. After about an hour and a half, they both surrendered to temptation and brought the computer monitor to within view of the screens so they could read _and_ stay abreast of the news.

 

* * *  
  
  
" _Ghrk..._  
  
"Yikes - I guess they decided I'm too pretty, if they want me permanently scarred."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Heh, 'tiny ginger rage'… I _have_ to find out who this 'Witch Baby' is."  
  
"And Kelly Leak, for that matter."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Wh—holy shit. _I_ killed you in this one."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Would _never_ do… _that_!"  
  
"I know _you_ wouldn't, but I can see where that version of you might do mushrooms."  
  
"Degenerate behavior… …is that what it's like?"  
  
"Beats me. Hallucinogens weren't part of my experiences in school, high school or other--whoa. Wow. _That_ wasn't part of my experiences either."  
  
"…"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Huh. Now they're talking about winding up in _our_ universe."  
  
"Could be interesting. Might want to have a conversation with some of them..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Do_ you like to be restrained?"  
  
"…uhm."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hahahahaha! Guess it's my turn to experience drugs now, after all of that. ' _We're talking about **things**_ '…"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"There, Daniel. Child versions together for Thanksgiving. Feel better?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. I kinda like all these holiday ones."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Is that really how you made your mask?"  
  
"Yes. Still have a burn scar from failed first attempt."  
  
"Haha! 'Latex is in this season'."  
  
" _Hurm_."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"'A Twilight Lady for Rorschach'… oh god."  
  
"Yours was bad enough."  
  
"Hey, I've told you before, that was completely one-sided on _her_ part!"  
  
"Still had her photograph."  
  
"Well, maybe if _you_ had given me one…"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hnh. Slightly troubled that I can imagine you using some of those pick-up lines."  
  
"Yeah, and I can see you delivering a knee to the groin for them. Hell, I'd _deserve_ it, with how bad some of them are!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _hrmph_. Have never 'whooped in panic'."  
  
"Well, you've also never misappropriated a police horse, thank goodness. Although it's a fantastic image."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Whoa. I have no idea what happened in that one."  
  
"Still trying to figure out if I even exist there or if you were hallucinating me."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Well, that's _one_ use for the motorcycle..."  
  
"Impractical without dual kick-stand. Would tip over."  
  
"..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"My god, they're right. We _did_ get along better as villains."  
  
"Disturbing."  
  
"You're telling me? ... _Pffffhaa!_ "  
  
"What's funny?"  
  
"'Always room for jello' – god, I shouldn't be laughing at that."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"… we are replacing your suspenders at the earliest possible opportunity."  
  
"Am not Ghost Rat, Daniel."  
  
"I don't care."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Ninja… _turtles_?"  
  
"What the hell are these people reading--?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hey, you all right?"  
  
"…Fine, Daniel."  
  
"Did you ever… look for your dad?"  
  
"Not enough facts. Nowhere to begin."  
  
"I—"  
  
"Don't say sorry, Daniel."  
  
"…okay. I'm glad someone wrote this for you, then."  
  
"…thank you."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"They keep talking about 'Saturday morning Watchmen'. It sounds…"  
  
"Appalling?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh god. For us to end like that—"  
  
"Better that then to lose one's mind. Best possible end for us. You would do that."  
  
"Jesus, buddy, c'mere."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Whew. Okay, the one with the ice cream cones was a nice recovery from that other."  
  
"Not the one where we're counting opponents we take down?"  
  
"Okay, you're right – that one too."  
  
  
* * *

 

The next one they read left Dan wondering when the first time would be that _he_ worked up the nerve to say "I love you" to Rorschach – judging by Rorschach's shifting, he wasn't the only one - but that train of thought was interrupted when a familiar name jolted both of their attention to to one of the news broadcasts.  
  
_  
"—lis Mason may be connected to a mysterious message we have learned was sent to authorities, allegedly from the second Nite Owl, now known to be Daniel Dreiberg. As you may remember, Dreiberg and his accomplice Laurie Jupiter, the Silk Spectre, are wanted for breaking the notorious outlaw vigilante Rorschach out of prison on Halloween night.  
  
Police were led to investigate Mason when it was discovered he was attacked in his home on the very same night of the prison break, allegedly by members of a gang known as the Knot Tops. He has only recently been upgraded to fair condition at Saint Vincent Hospital and it is currently unknown whether or not the attack has any direct relation to—"_  
  
  
"Oh my god – Hollis!"

 .

 

The newscaster stationed outside the hospital continued and Dan had to force himself to concentrate on her words.  
  
_"--w York Police Department asserts that Mason, a retired officer himself, is not a suspect, but they **are** trying to find out any information he might have about Nite Owl II and possibly even Dr. Manhattan, who disappeared only moments after the events of November 2nd. We'll be bringing you further news as we learn more. Back to you, Harold."_  
  
The picture cut back to the news anchor. _"Thank you, Diana. Amazingly, Hollis Mason was rescued by the quick thinking and courage of a group of neighborhood children who'd been trick-or-treating that night. Coming up at eight, we'll be speaking with those brave youngsters and bringing you their story.  
  
In financial news, markets worldwide are—"_

  
  
The words blurred into a droning buzz as Dan's thoughts raced.  
  
"Wasn't there a--? Wait!" Dan whirled back to the computer, furiously scrolling and back-tracking. He was focusing in the way he once did when on an important case, and Rorschach was only too happy to let him do it. His eyes tracked impatiently back and forth over the endless entries and sub-headings. "Dammit, where is it…we read so far…" Rorschach leaned in to add his own efforts to the speed-reading and nearly got clocked on the jaw for his trouble when Dan reared back to point, "There! The ghost story!" His eyes skimmed the paragraphs. "Several of us are in it… the 'hands in pockets' phrase is you, I think…"  
  
"And the one at the spark hydrants is you?"  
  
"I guess so. But the rest..."  
  
"...is about Mason."  
  
"And look, these details – his injury, and the setting at Halloween." Dan leaned back, passing his hand over his forehead. Suddenly he looked up at his friend. "Oh god, the ones about our deaths, do you remember? There was one for Hollis. I tried not to read it, but I just had to."  
  
"Remember that one." Rorschach shifted uncomfortably. "I read it too." He looked up as he recalled. "Mentioned 'those kids' finding him."  
  
"That's just too eerie. And the fact that it happened right after Laurie and I—"  
  
"Came for me," Rorschach finished. "Disturbing coincidence."  
  
"Was it a coincidence?"  
  
Rorschach paused, but shook his head. "Had to be. If Veidt knew what you were going to do, would have just stopped you. Not taken revenge somewhere else."  
  
"True. But _why_? Why was Hollis attacked on that exact night?"  
  
" _Hurm_. Doesn't seem to relate to Veidt's plan at all. May simply have been random."  
  
"But why would _they_ know about it, then?" Dan pointed to the screen. "What the hell kind of comic book story is this, anyway?"  
  
"Good question."  
  
Dan sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. "All right. Well, we know he's doing all right, at least, and that our message got through. Let's keep going with this while we think of what to do next. We're nearly to the end of it and I could do with a 'crack' story right about now."

 

* * *  
  
  
"Hahaha! Okay, I guess this fits the bill."  
  
"Do _not_ care for Lucky Charms _or_ liquor in Coke. _Hrmf._ "  
  
"I noticed you didn't say anything about the other three items on that list. Suddenly I want to find a movie on one of those televisions and cook for you."  
  
" _Enk._ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Hey!!_ "  
  
"Snowsuit is not stupid, Daniel."  
  
"…thank you."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Ok, I've gotta ask: How _do_ you feel about Laurie?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, she's as much a fugitive as we are now and I'm sure she can't just stay with her mother."  
  
"You're not asking because of the Ghost Rat story?"  
  
"Not _only_ because of it, I'll put it that way."  
  
" _Ehn._ Appreciated her help. Disapprove of her costume. Would have to think on the rest."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"…"  
  
"…"  
  
"…your hands… _hrk_."  
  
"Eesh, yeah, that'd be awful. It gives me the willies. The recovery, though… "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Hurm._ Insult us but use insults as compliments. Makes no sense."  
  
"'Fatass', 'nerd', 'chubby'… it's like my adolescence all over again. By the way, you are _not_ ugly!"  
  
"Don't need flattery _or_ coddling, Daniel."  
  
"I don't care. You're not, and I think I'll sock you if you try to say otherwise."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh, man. Is it crazy of me to wish we could hear those albums too?"  
  
"No more insane than the possibility they do exist, somewhere."  
  
"High heels. Wow."  
  
"Don't get any ideas."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Stripping_?!"  
  
"'For justice' - _*snrk*!_ "  
  
"Not funny, Daniel."  
  
"What, are you kidding, we'd both be horrible – it's _hilarious_!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Interesting to imagine pure form of Nite Owl like that."  
  
"What, a giant owl-monster? Kind of hard to have sex with that. _Oof!_ "  
  
"Thinking like them, now."  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't help it. But yeah, that really would be something, to see our… _personas_ , unfiltered. If we survived it, that is. And, y'know, to maybe see you when you're not being Rorschach."  
  
" _Nh_. No one to see."  
  
"Oh, I dunno. Would it really be so bad if there _was_ someone?"  
  
"…"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"…self…cest--?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _ENNK!_ "  
  
"Holy… _'She_ has a larger than life pe—'"  
  
" _Don't say it!!_ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey, that prompt actually happened – that big drug bust, you took a two-by-four to the back of the head and kept going."  
  
"Was fine – pulled an attacker off of you and stopped ringleader."  
  
"And passed out the second we got back into Archie. I'm just glad you stayed at the Owl's Nest that night."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Daniel. Link to another meme."  
  
"Jesus, _Another_ one? We're not _that_ interesting, are we?"  
  
"Hnh. Just echoed your high school counterpart."  
  
Dan laughed a bit self-consciously at that. "I think I can relate to how he felt, you know?" He stood up and stretched some of the tension out of his shoulders from sitting in one place for so long. Glancing over at the wall of TV screens, he grimaced. "There's been nothing else broadcast that might be useful. I think we're going to have to wait for the evening news now."  
  
Rorschach was still looking at the computer, frowning in thought. "Dr. Manhattan shouldn't have gone. Makes things more difficult, 'miracle' notwithstanding."  
  
Dan grew thoughtful. "I agree. He didn't seem to be too concerned about things - but then again, he never has been. We should try to find him, see if we can bring him back. This is too big, and no one's going to be inclined to listen to the two of us."  
  
"What do you propose?"  
  
"Well... we _do_ have a machine that controls tachyons, which attract his attention." He raised a brow. "Maybe we should see if it goes to eleven."  
  
"...Eleven?"  
  
"Remind me to have you watch ' _This is Spinal Tap_ ' sometime."

 .

 

“Anything so far?”  
  
_“No.”_ Rorschach’s voice crackled over the radio.  
  
Dan tried another setting. “What about now?”  
  
_“Possibly. Display flickered.”_  
  
Dan hesitated, then risked another increase. After a brief foray into the maintenance logs, they’d been able to identify at least some of the tachyon-harnessing equipment and Dan was doing some experimenting. The trick was not only figuring out how to operate the machinery, they realized; they also wanted to keep from losing their connection to the meme, which began with this very equipment. It had become enough of a part of their current existence to make both of them uncomfortable at the thought of losing it. Hell, it was a connection to another _world_.  
  
“Still ok?”  
  
_“Image is wavering... appears stable now.”_  
  
A few more exchanges passed over the radio as he gradually coaxed the tachyon containment equipment to maximum. “Well," he released the knob and gingerly stepped back, "I think that’s as far as this thing goes. I don’t see any other ways to adjust it.” Dan took one more look at the bank of switches and readouts. “No alarms are going off, and I didn’t see anything in the manuals about tachyon exposure being dangerous…”  
  
_”Aside from the obvious.”_  
  
“Well, yeah – you’ve got a point there.” Dan swept an embarrassed hand through his hair. “Let’s just hope this works. There's nothing else I can do here, so I’m heading back over to you.”  
  
.  
  
Dan returned to the media room just in time to see his partner engaged in a (mostly) good-natured tussle with Bubastis, who had apparently decided she needed more attention. She was trying to climb into a _very_ unimpressed Rorschach's lap while he fended her off with one hand and tried to protect the computer's keyboard with the other. He was doing a decent job of holding his ground, but not without cost. His hand, which had been hovering over the keyboard as they struggled, abruptly mashed down on the keyboard when a well-placed feline tongue hit his ear and the image on the monitor sputtered, blinked and _changed_.  
  
"No!" Dan lunged forward in horror even as the edge of Rorschach's hand landed on the keyboard for a second time and caused a fresh bout of distortion. Growling in frustration (to which Bubastis playfully responded in kind) Rorschach wrestled to get them both away from the computer before they did further damage.  
  
With his heart in his throat Dan rushed to the monitor. It was still on, and still showing a display, much to his relief. As soon as his initial panic wore off he actually _looked_ at what was on the screen and his brain slowly put what he was seeing together.

 

  
\-- ** _Error. Please confirm you are a human below._** \--

 

  
"Computer all right?" Rorschach shot Dan a worried glance from where Bubastis continued to wrestle him on the floor.  
  
"...yeah." Unconsciously, Dan's hand drifted up to his mouth as he continued to stare at the screen. He was only vaguely aware of the continuing scuffle behind him, his partner's grunts of effort blending with Bubastis' thunderous purr.  
  
"Ghrah. Daniel."  
  
"Bubu, cut it out for a second." Dan's eyes never left the screen and his voice was but a faint murmur, but something in his tone must have reached both his companions. Both of them stilled and stared up in apprehension at Dan.  
  
Quickly disentangling himself, Rorschach scrambled up to get his own look at what had stunned Dan. A moment's study had him looking much the same way Dan did.  
  
"Haven't seen that before."  
  
"No. We always just got static when we tried following anything. Must be the tachyons." He finally focused on the "Message" section of the display and was startled into a laugh. "I'm assuming that was the result of Bubastis' 'help'?"  
  
And then a thought occurred. A frightening, horrible, irresistably compelling thought.  
  
Dan turned quickly. "Do you think--?"  
  
Rorschach was looking at him. "Bad idea. Very bad."  
  
"But you're thinking it too, aren't you?"  
  
" _Hurm._ "

"We could—"  
  
"Shouldn't."  
  
"But it's gibberish, it looks a bit like what they write sometimes anyway, and look, "Anonymous" is selected. If it goes through - _if_! – no one will know who sent it. But _we'll_ know if what we think is happening is really possible. Isn't that worth knowing?"  
  
Even Rorschach couldn't argue against his own curiosity. His gaze dropped momentarily, then returned to meet Dan's resolve. "Do it."  
  
With all the gravity they'd ever shown their most serious cases they turned back to the computer. Slowly, carefully, Dan stepped forward and clicked "Post Comment".  
  
The screen went blank.  
  
Neither of them breathed.  
  
...and then the display returned.  
  
Dan gaped in disbelief, then started scanning the image. "Did it work?"  
  
"Not sure." Rorschach joined him and they both leaned over the computer. "Didn't see which entry it belonged to."  
  
"Guess we'll have to read the whole page."  
  
The minutes passed. They even broke their unspoken rule of not reading the stories that didn't have to do with them.  
  
"There."  
  
"Oh my god, _that_ one?!" Dan's laugh was as much euphoria at their success as it was for the comment's location. "Someone actually went for the stripping prompt, I don't believe it."  
  
Rorschach's glare promised murder for an instant, but he couldn't hold it in place as his gaze was drawn back to the inadvertent comment borne of his and Bubastis' rough-housing. Despite its undignified appearance, it was still proof of their success. It stood, black on white, quite possibly the first recorded instance of contact between universes:

  
  
\-- ** _fffffffffffffjkilhgkjmvjgjlkk...._** \--

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (yes, that comment exists in the Kinkmeme if you know where to look... >_> )


	10. Chapter 10

" _Nh._ Comment implies approval, by their vernacular." Rorschach's jaw was set in exactly the opposite, his arms tightly folded.  
  
"Is that really all you can think about, man? We just... just..." his hands flailed briefly at the screen, conveying his incredulity better than any words he could force out right now.  
  
"Am aware of significance, Daniel. Only wish communication could have been more... coherent."  
  
"Right. You would've just yelled at them."  
  
" 'Yelled'?"   
  
"Don't give me that look, you know what I mean. Besides, it wouldn't make any sense from their point of view – they'd just think you're a... what'd they call it, a 'troll'."  
  
" _Hurm_. Then what would you suggest doing with it?"  
  
"I... have no idea." Dan blinked. "It's probably a better idea _not_ to do anything, really. We'd be—"   
  
" _Interfering_ , Daniel?" The set to his shoulders made it clear Rorschach had no qualms about doing just that.  
  
"C'mon – this is different. They don't know we're at this end, remember?"   
  
Their gazes locked until Rorschach finally relented. "Fine." They subsided, but then Rorschach's head snapped back up to pin his partner with eyes that flashed a warning. "No prompts."  
  
"... _Fine_. But I do want to see if we can make it happen again on another page at some point, so we should, y'know. Keep reading." His expression grew puckish. "For science." He was rewarded with the unguarded twitch of Rorschach's mouth at that.  
  
"Should be training." He mastered his expression back into a scowl. "Have a long way to go and no discipline. Very bad."  
  
The way he said _Very bad_ made Dan suppress a shiver that was only partially apprehension. He knew Rorschach was serious in his concern, and with good reason, but this adventure was bringing out more in his ever-taciturn friend than he'd ever dared to hope. Even so, as he eyed his paunch with distaste he reflected that Rorschach _did_ have a good point. "All right, how about this – an hour of training for every hour of reading?"  
  
"Two hour shift maximum. Won't get any sleep otherwise."  
  
"But thats--! All right, yeah, that's fair." Dan deflated slightly, but quickly bounced back. "So let's get going on this. We've still got the news to catch later tonight."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Damn, how'd we miss that the first time? I never knew that's what 'immolation' could mean."  
  
"Seem far too interested in that fact, Daniel."  
  
* * *  
  
"... _would_ you let me try on your hat sometime?"  
  
"Wouldn't fit you."  
  
"That wasn't a 'no', I noticed."  
  
" _Ennk._ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Would not be such a rude housemate. Know how to pick up after myself."  
  
"I seem to recall a much-broken lock and a raided pantry one night."  
  
"Needed to get your attention, make sure you were taking precautions. And got hungry."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Ha, horseplaying is 'cute'. Wonder what they'd think of your training efforts."  
  
"Likely a prompt, somewhere."

  
  
* * *

  
"Oh jeez, it's the Lovecraft one again. Every time I think things are all right they get creepy again."  
  
"Have a giant cat to protect us, Daniel."  
  
"Very funny."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"What."  
  
"You _don't_ know how to ride a bike, do you?"  
  
"No need for it."  
  
"Mm-hm. "  
  
"What are you writing?"  
  
"A 'to do' list."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Ew. I know they've been calling that version 'Frankenschach' for a reason, but _still_."  
  
"Very... _vivid_ descriptions."  
  
" _Pffffffff!_ 'Squidschach'."  
  
"Nk. You still recognized me. Looking like that."  
  
"I'd like to think I would. Y'know, if you _wanted_ me to."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"They didn't know about the Doomsday Clock? _Really?_ "  
  
"Timeline is far enough in the future for possible solutions to be found. Although they _do_ still have one."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"An arranged marriage... why can I sort of imagine you actually doing that?"  
  
"Wasn't me, though."  
  
"Yeah, but 'Rule 63' you is still sort of you. God, that made me sound like such a nerd..."  
  
" _snrx._ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hrn. '63-self'. A lot of research for a prompt."  
  
"They're awfully gleeful with all their 'Dan is doomed' comments."  
  
"They know your attachment to costumes."  
  
"Oh, and _you're_ not like that? Their comments about 'layers' and 'formality' don't seem all that improbable, and just what _is_ your full costume, anyway?"  
  
"My own business."  
  
"I see."  
  
"..."  
  
"...I wouldn't stand a chance, would I?"  
  
"Likely not."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Uh."  
  
"...do not have 'Daddy' kink."  
  
" _Wow._ "  
  
  
* * *

  
  
  
"Time, Daniel."  
  
"Already?" Dan looked up mid-story and, sure enough, the clock read that two hours had passed. Rorschach was right; it was all too easy to lose track of time with this.

He expected another of Rorschach's not-really-games for their training sessions, but was surprised to be instructed in a series of simple push-up and sit-up reps right there in the media room. "Simple" being a relative term, as it involved doing them _s-l-o-w-l-y_ in mercilessly perfect form on the stone floor that had his muscles beginning to protest after the fourth one. The fact that Rorschach did them right alongside him was _not_ helping at all. Aside from the fact that his partner seemed in no way inconvenienced by the exertion, Dan was also finding that watching Rorschach moving through silent and determined rep after rep was getting uncomfortably distracting. By the final rep of sit-ups he was convinced he was becoming delirious as his brain kept conjuring annoyingly poetic descriptions for the cold light of the televisions visible on the sheen of sweat that Rorschach's skin had finally deigned to produce.  
  
Then they were stretching. Good god. He hadn't expected Rorschach to be nearly as limber as some of the stories made him out to be, but neither was he inflexible. Considering Rorschach's personality, the realization of that irony nearly resulted in an inappropriate burst of laughter that would have pulled a muscle.  
  
"You sure you don't want to use the gym, man?" He was trying not to sound too hopeful, but wasn't doing a good job of it.  
  
"Not needed. Fine like this." One corded arm reached up and back, muscles defined by the flickering glow of - _dammit_ , Dan silently cursed. Then he realized:  
  
"This is what you do – well, _did_ \- at home, isn't it?"  
  
Something flickered in Rorschach's eyes but he continued silently leading Dan through their stretches.  
  
 _Well, I'll be damned. 'Poor Hand' wasn't that far off_. It made sense, once he thought about it. Rorschach's movements and fighting style could be recognized by someone in a public place like a gym – they'd even seen a handful of stories to that effect. Besides, it wasn't like he could have afforded such a frivolous thing as a membership. Rorschach was actually _sharing_ something with him, in his own obscure way. Regret stung him again for the time lost between them, and he returned his focus to following their session.  
  
Not that it seemed to be doing anything for his partner's mood. Granted, it wasn't like Rorschach ever seemed _relaxed_ , but his expression through their exercises just seemed to be getting grimmer and grimmer. By the time they were on their feet for a sparring match he seemed almost angry, and Dan was hard-pressed to defend himself from a fresh batch of bruising. They were moving too fast for Dan to spare concentration for questions (that Rorschach likely wouldn't answer anyway) and so he turned the day over in his mind. Had he said something? Done something? He'd agreed to get back into training, they'd found the tachyon device and "called" Jon, the story had reached the news... nothing there seemed to offer any answers. As he dodged a punch aimed for his jaw he tried to remember, what had they been reading? _Porn_ , his mind sniggered unhelpfully. That didn't really explain it, though – they'd read any number of outrageous things and it hadn't set Rorschach off like this. Casting his memory back on the past two hours while battering his partner back with a flurry of blows, he remembered there had been genderswapping (something that always made Rorschach twitch a little), a few costume fetish moments (same thing), the Lovecraft story, the 'Frankenschach' story... nothing particularly unusual, relatively speaking. The last one they'd read had been the one with them as high schoolers, and nothing had happened except –  
  
Wait a minute. 

A blow clipped his ear as the thought hit him, and he had to scramble to recover. As he launched a counterattack he saw Rorschach's eyes flare, which reinforced his suspicion. He remembered a line in the high school story, describing Walter looking almost angry when he was really... Well. Dan's mind dithered. _Turned on_. He thought back on his reunion with his partner through all of this mess, dodging punches and kicks all the while. Every time he'd stepped up to fight, or settled in to solve a problem, there had been a particular energy to Rorschach that he'd just attributed to the memory of "old times" between them. Now he wondered... Experimentally, he summoned all his strength and concentration on their sparring match, calling up old muscle-memories of his days as Nite Owl and pushing himself to meet Rorschach's aggression with his own.   
  
There it was – for every strike that landed (or nearly landed), something fierce lit up in Rorschach's expression. His breathing even changed, now that Dan was paying attention. _My god_ , Dan thought, _He **was** flirting!_ The knowledge of that, now that he could see it, had Dan doing everything he could to prolong it. He was going to _hurt_ in the morning, but oh, this was worth it – although he made a mental note that they would _definitely_ need to have a discussion of courtship methods before too long.  
  
They maneuvered back and forth, barely avoiding doing serious damage to the equipment around them - but somehow that made it all the more fun. Dan was pleasantly surprised to hold his own for several minutes, even getting in a few hits that would give Rorschach some bruises of his own. In the end, though, a well-aimed blow to his sternum sent him staggering back and falling onto the pile of pilfered couch cushions they'd set up in front of the TV screens. Which was exactly what Rorschach had intended, judging by his current position astride Dan. His knees trapped Dan's forearms in place and his hands clenched at Dan's shoulders while they panted at each other.  
  
"You could have just kissed me, you know," Dan risked at last.  
  
"Had considered it."  
  
"Well, what are you w- _mmmf--_!"  


.

  
  
"Hn. Suppose that works."  
  
"Oh, good. I was worried for that first few minutes or so. Can I have my arms back now?"  
  
"Didn't seem to be complaining." Nevertheless, Rorschach's weight shifted off of Dan's wrists.  
  
"Yeah, well, I was kind of distracted at the time." He grinned, then winced slightly as circulation returned to his fingers.  
  
"Bad form, Daniel." Rorschach leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. "Should work on your focus."  
  
Dan's eyebrows shot up. "Oh I should, should I?" Rorschach was looking _far_ too self-satisfied for his taste. "I might say the same thing about YOU!"  
  
All at once Dan's fingers clenched on either side of his partner's ribcage while he sent up a quick, fervent prayer that his hunch was right and he'd actually survive this. He was rewarded with a spastic " _AWP!_ " from Rorschach, who reared back and suddenly looked not so calm anymore. A manic glee lit Dan's eyes, and the two of them were quickly rolling in a frantic tangle punctuated by his "not ticklish" partner's muffled gasps and snorts. _I'm gonna die_ , his mind was chanting at him, even as he scrambled for purchase and redoubled his attack.  
  
Rorschach should have been furious. _Would_ have been, if it were anyone besides Daniel who dared to do something so outrageously invasive. As it was, a part of him was considering whether he could manage to inflict some controlled amount of damage as a warning against future bouts of insanity. A very _small_ part, amidst increasingly desperate attempts to keep his elbows between Daniel's fingers and his sides. Within moments he could tell a defensive strategy wouldn't work, and so he changed tactics.  
  
Dan almost whooped in victory when he felt Rorschach's arms loosen, only to "AAACK!" in surprise when he suddenly felt strong fingers manhandling his ribs. He'd been so concentrated on testing his partner's ticklishness that he'd completely forgotten his own, and now Rorschach was taking full advantage of the discovery. Dan, _much_ more ticklish by far, was soon snickering helplessly – though he was pleased to notice that Rorschach, while almost completely silent, was doing one hell of a lot of twitching under Dan's swiftly crumbling offensive.  
  
A wayward kick sent a chair toppling, prompting Bubastis to abandon her spot near the TV screens. With swishing tail and a reproachful look, she staked out a pillow that had been thrown clear and _hoomph_ ed onto it where she could watch from a safer distance.  
  
They tumbled for another few minutes, neither one of them truly gaining the upper hand. Dan had his head tilted at a ridiculous angle to protect his neck, but he also happened upon a surprisingly touchy spot behind Rorschach's knee. The find was a costly one, though, as his partner took immediate and merciless revenge. By this time Dan was so sensitized that he didn't stand a chance.  
  
"Aha, ok, I give up, uncle! Aaagh - _uh- **hunn** cle_!"   
  
Daniel, eyes streaming, curled up weakly on his side. His voice was about an octave too high and his hands had finally given up the fight, tightly holding to his own sides while he gasped for air between giggles.   
  
Rorschach relented, albeit warily, and Dan wisely decided not to call attention to the slight but definite grin coloring his friend's rather flushed features. Slowly they settled to a halt close to the wall of television screens, content to lie in an exhausted pile.

Looking up, Dan reached over and tapped Rorschach's shoulder. "Hey - the news is finally on."  
  
Rather than sit up, the two of them just shifted enough to be able to see while they caught their breath.  
  
Dan dragged a stray pillow more firmly under his head with shaky arms. Rorschach surprised him by letting his head loll partway between Dan's pillow and his shoulder, pressed closely enough that Dan didn't want to move for fear of losing the contact.   
  
The familiar sounds and graphics of the evening news brought his mind spinning back home, to night after bleak night of newscasts showing the life he'd given up, and a world that was spinning out of control. The last time he'd watched this program had been that night with Laurie, seeing his friend's imprisonment and private life trumpeted across the airwaves, and yet another second ticking away on the Doomsday Clock.  
  
And now they were here. Considering their reason for watching this particular broadcast, it made him wonder - "Do you think all of... _this_ ," his waving hand encompassed the media room, themselves, and their situation, "somehow affected what happened to Hollis? Maybe to other people too?"  
  
Rorschach raised an eyebrow beside him. "Butterfly flapping its wings in Antarctica, Daniel?"  
  
Dan laughed and turned to him, surprised and pleased. "You've heard of that theory?"  
  
Rorschach shrugged, seeming remarkably relaxed in the wake of their roughhousing. "Overheard once. Makes more sense than some."  
  
They turned their attention back to the news. Bits and pieces of their message were revealed in the lead story – enough to know that they were being taken seriously, even if there was little enough information being released yet to make the broadcast frustrating to them both. That was followed by input from various talking heads, speculation as to motivations, and predictable refusals to comment by authorities.   
  
Soon after, the story Dan had been waiting for came on. He shifted for a better view as Hollis' rescue was recounted. He had a vague sense of recognition for one of the boys who'd helped save his mentor; he'd seen him at Hollis' apartment as he'd come by one Saturday. As they listened, he couldn't help but shudder at how close things had been. He let out a long, slow breath, and reflected on how much he owed those kids.  
  
Then, surprisingly, Hollis himself was on the screen – battered and tired-looking but very much alive where he sat in his hospital bed – and Dan sat bolt upright.  
  
A young woman's voice came from off-camera, _"Do you believe the attack on you has anything to do with Nite Owl II's actions?"  
  
"I have no idea." Hollis shook his head slowly. "Those toughs... came out of nowhere."  
  
"What are your feelings about your successor's actions?"_  
  
A spike of irritation went through Dan at her tone, and he felt Rorschach tense beside him. As they watched, he saw Hollis make an effort to draw himself up.  
  
 _"Now you listen here, Miss - I've known Dan Dreiberg... for nearly as long as you've been alive. There's not one single dishonorable bone in his body; I wouldn't have passed Nite Owl on to him otherwise. What he did, he did for a reason; you can bet on that."_  
  
The sound bite ended, leaving Dan flushing in a combination of pride and embarrassment. Beside him, Rorschach gently clasped his shoulder. "Good assessment," he rumbled.   
  
Dan ducked his head and smiled. "Thanks, man." He put an arm around his friend's shoulders in turn and pulled him closer in a sideways hug. They sat like that, staring up at the screens while Bubastis dozed behind them, each absorbed in his own thoughts.  
  
  
"...So, d'you think this is what they meant when they talked about 'man-cuddles'?"  
  
"Will thank you to _never_ use that term again."

 

.

  
  
* * *  
  
"There's the one in the asylum again. Why did they decide to call you 'Jaws'? That doesn't make any sense."  
  
"...Does, actually. May tell you why someday."  
  
  
* * *  
  
"HA! Oh my god, that's horrible. 'Most manly way possible'... Holy hell, don't even think of trying that."  
  
"Not.... going to be a problem."  
  
"Were you really a gymnast?"  
  
"Studied gymnastics. Was decent, kept up some practice. Stop looking at me like that."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" 'Gay chicken'?"  
  
"Oh, I dunno, that could be interesting."  
  
"Hnh. Reading obviously a bad influence on you."  
  
"Says the man who just kissed me silly."  
  
"..."  
  
  
* * *   
  
  
" _Graahh_! Not a pedophile!"  
  
"Whoa, man, I know! Hey, _hey_! No commenting! We agreed, remember?"  
  
" _rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Very glad I never had to find you in Twilight Lady's lair like that."  
  
"God, me too."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Aw. I like to think we could have that someday. Y'know, without you being a zombie, that is."  
  
  
* * *   
  
  
"Ok, if you ever call me 'PornOwl', I think I might belt you."  
  
"Remember that if 'Shortstack' ever becomes tempting."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"What's a 'muppet'?"  
  
" _Pfffffff---!_ "  
  
  
* * *   
  
  
"So I'm a 'benign, kinky robot' now?"  
  
"One who likes plastic wrap. Funny."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Disturbing to think you would do that."  
  
"I... I don't know what I'd do. God, I'm really glad you're not an android."  
  
"Hnh."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Boxing moves... did you ever compete?"  
  
"Not officially. Want to learn?"  
  
"God, yes."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hey... Australia isn't all that far from here. And it _is_ summer for them right now."  
  
"Focus, Daniel."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh dear god, how the hell did they know I have an Aunt Ethel?!"  
  
"...does she make cookies?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"I wonder why they labeled this 'Flasherschach' – oh."  
  
"..."  
  
"That doesn't look terribly... _practical_."  
  
"Or decent."  
  
  
* * *   
  
  
”Ok, the letters 'o-m-g-w-t-f' I can figure out, but what's with the 'barbecue'--?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Wonder what significance of 'Fashion, Daniel' is."  
  
"Dunno, but it looks like the link might be working. Here goes..."  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"...starting to appreciate use of phrase 'What is this I don't even'."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Heh, 'Bendyschach'....I've really gotta start tallying all of these nicknames up."  
  
"Told you to stop looking at me like that."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Gay...Lactation?"  
  
"Jesus, I'm learning more about biology than I ever wanted to know."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Wait. Saw your license. Said you were born -"  
  
"1941. They _all_ got it wrong."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Eesh. I think 'Voidschach' is officially the most disturbing version of you I've seen."  
  
"Good sense of humor, though."  
  
"...You scare me sometimes."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Wow. All those songs..."  
  
"Know any of them?"  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Pity."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Hrm._ Actually did have to train new employees. Supervisor couldn't avoid it sometimes."  
  
"How long did they last?"  
  
"Longest one, three days. Not sure if he had the twitch before he left or not."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Strange."  
  
"Which part?"  
  
"Idea of all characters by an actor in the same place."  
  
"Considering both of our counterparts seem to have played child molesters, I dunno how I'd feel about that..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Wh – whoa, wait... Star Trek came _back_?!?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hrnh. Eager to criticize my housekeeping habits. Odd priorities."  
  
"Having seen your place, I can't entirely fault them, man."  
  
"More important things to do."  
  
"We may have to revisit this topic sometime."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Why are they going nuts over the sound effect 'Lep'??"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Daniel."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Drooling."  
  
"Oh, I am not!"  
  
"Saying comment about black leather straps had no effect on you whatsoever?"  
  
"..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Aw, jeez. That _is_ how it should have gone after the Keene Act. I'm sorry, man."  
  
"Have your chance now, Daniel."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" 'Dystopian Steampunk Rorschach'. I think I _almost_ understood that."  
  
"Fragment seems interesting, even with implied substance use."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Fishnets. Again."  
  
"Hey, at least they used a version of you that's okay with it."  
  
" _Hurm._ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh goddammit, they're going to kill Hollis again..."  
  
"Don't think he's in actual danger of alien implantation."  
  
"Damn good thing."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"There. Ridiculous image of me baking cookies with child to make you feel better."  
  
"Ha ha, man. Just be glad it works."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _snkk_. Godot."  
  
"You've read Beckett?"  
  
"Playwright very amusing, despite preference for gray."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Ok, you I can see being possible – I said _possible_! as a cross-dressing woman, but me--?"  
  
"Costume doesn't leave enough to imagination."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hnh. Fluoride theory was ridiculous."  
  
"What, someone actually said that? No wonder I never read that paper."  
  
"Editor of New Frontiersman is a good citizen. Concerned with finding truth, and frequently gathers accurate information ignored by others."  
  
"He sure as hell doesn't make it easy to _find_ in that mess."  
  
"Never said he was mentally balanced."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Do we want to know what 'ff.net' is?"  
  
"Who is Mary Sue?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"They have an index. A massive one with _sub_ -categories."  
  
"Alarmed by that, after all this?"  
  
"No, I just wish it was one of the links that _works_ so we could do faster searches."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh, ugh, Gremlins! "  
  
"??"  
  
"They were these things that started out all cute and fluffy, but if you fed them after midnight they turned into monsters, and if you got them wet they multiplied for every drop of water."  
  
"Hrn. Good weapons potential."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"I—"  
  
"Daniel. Don't. Useless."  
  
"I just wish things had been different for you and your mother. Hell, the fact that a story about a goddamned _Selkie_ makes it make more sense just points out how messed up the whole thing is."  
  
"Prefer not to dwell on it."  
  
"I know, man. Sorry. Look, sometime if you want, I'll tell you about my family. This feels like cheating otherwise."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Daniel--?"  
  
"No, I have never written porn, much less submitted it anywhere. Jesus."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Mn. Good retribution story."  
  
"Yeah, but we both died. I could do without that."  
  
"Point."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"That one was kind of neat, seeing what we might look like to someone else."  
  
"'Spectacularly awkward?'"  
  
"C'mon, it was cute. Do you really do that with flavors?"  
  
"...maybe."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Oh god, what the hell..."  
  
"Your kink is _other_ people's kinks? _Hrm._  
  
"And now they're trying to come up with the weirdest ones possible. It's just not fair!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Would _not_ allow myself to be 'pudgy'. _hnf._ "  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" 'Evil undead clockwork Nazi _psychopath_?'"  
  
"From a universe with a demon with a soft spot for cats."  
  
"...I almost want to see that."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Not _that_ funny."  
  
"Like hell it isn't! 'I sew like a motherfucker'--!"  
  
"Hmp. Not going near your snowsuit."  
  
"Awww..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Aw, you would be that way with a kitten, I just know it."  
  
" _Ennk_."  
  
  
* * *

 

Dan's stomach growled, interrupting their perusal. Thanks to their time together he'd learned to brace himself for his friend's chiding because of his weight, but this time Rorschach just twitched and glanced sideways at him with an expression that looked remarkably like trepidation. Of course, they'd just finished reading an odd story in which Dan channeled, of all things, owl mating behaviors, including tempting his partner with gifts of food. And being rather... _assertive_ , to say the least. Apparently something about it hit home with Rorschach if he was being so obvious in his reactions.   
  
A nearly irresistible impulse hit him to see how far he could take this. Rorschach was so casually – even callously – dominant most of the time; having him off-balance was always compelling. But what to do, he wondered. Unconsciously, his eyes narrowed in speculation and even that tiny movement made Rorschach shift in his chair. Dan noticed it and the corners of his mouth curled upward the slightest fraction, which in turn led to another shift. When he realized Rorschach's imagination was going to do most of Dan's work for him, he spent an amusing few minutes just subtly adjusting his expression and posture while his partner worked his way toward a full-on nervous fidget.   
  
Dan was almost - _almost_ \- starting to feel guilty when all at once a restaurant commercial came on one of the screens behind them, and _both_ their stomachs responded. Rorschach actually gave a guilty start, and it was all over for Dan as he failed to hold in his laughter.  
  
"Oh, man - I suppose now's a bad time to mention I was going to make good on wanting to cook for you?"  
  
Rorschach warily looked for any sign of mockery or ulterior motive, but there was only that odd mixture of amusement and apology that Daniel's features seemed to hold so easily. It was well into the evening and food did sound good, but they'd done perfectly well simply foraging in the kitchen for whatever they needed. "Not necessary, Daniel."  
  
"Of course it's not necessary, why d'you think I want to do it?" Dan rose, his movement clearly indicating he expected Rorschach to follow. "We've got a perfect chance here. C'mon."  
  
And maybe it was the obvious trust in Daniel's movements, or the air of authority, but Rorschach did.  
  
.  
  
They even sat in the dining room, now cleared of its mess and looking vaguely absurd with only the two of them seated at one end of the table. Still, Dan couldn't have been happier, considering they were actually sitting down together for a (technically) home-cooked meal. He knew he was being ridiculous, but if Rorschach was letting him have this then dammit, he was going to enjoy it. Part of him had been wanting to do something about his partner's underfed frame for a while now (with accompanying "Mother Hen" vibes) and another part was just enjoying the novelty of their situation. Rorschach had eaten his cooking before, years ago, but only as leftovers when Dan could wheedle him upstairs after a patrol together. This was their first "proper" meal together, ever.  
  
It was hard to tell if Rorschach was enjoying his efforts or not; he'd spent the past several minutes just stolidly shoveling down food in silence. Then again, Dan reflected, there'd been no grumblings at all about foreign ingredients or wasted time... that probably amounted to rhapsodizing on Rorschach's scale.  
  
He concealed a grin as he tucked into his own dinner, surreptitiously watching his partner. "Difficult" didn't even begin to describe the man who sat across the table... and yet, there was no one else Dan wanted to be with in all of this - in pretty much _any_ version, really. Looking at him, Dan reflected on some of their alternate counterparts in their reading. He tried to imagine what it would've have been like if they met as children, or if – god forbid – they'd become villains. Imagining being the opposite gender was even more of a stretch; he had real trouble picturing a feminine version of Rorschach, considering the man's blunt, squared features (even though there was a moment when his partner looked down, something about the eyes...)

 

Daniel was staring again. He'd been doing it quite a lot, but more so of late. Rorschach had more than a few suspicions as to why (particularly when they'd been working out earlier), but he also knew that Daniel was talkative enough that he'd likely come out and say what he was thinking before too long. It was one of many habits that that made him both easy and difficult to be with.  
  
He considered saying something about their meal. Whether justified or not, Daniel had gone to some effort with it and it was very good - there just wasn't a good opportunity to say something between bites. Daniel was obviously deep in thought, for one thing. For another, everything was exactly the right temperature and to pause now might result in something growing cold, doing a disservice to the food. Or the cat could try to go after it. Really, it was better all around for him to just keep eating.  
  
At last Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but what came out was not at all what Rorschach was expecting.  
  
"Which would you rather end up with, d'you think – being 'genderswapped', or being something not human?"  
  
Rorschach just looked at him, laden fork poised in midair. Dan's eyebrows rose in query.  
  
"Neither."  
  
"Aw, c'mon!" Dan tried not to deflate. "There has to be one you'd prefer."  
  
The fork resumed its journey, and Rorschach actually considered it for a moment. "Animal?"  
  
"Nope, something completely weird."  
  
Rorschach tried not to think too much about how gleefully that was said. " _Hrn._ Temporary, or permanent?"  
  
"...Let's say a week."  
  
"Still able to fight?"  
  
"Sure. Either way."  
  
" _Hurm..._ " A thoughtful silence descended, punctuated by silverware scraping gently on plates. "Would choose inhuman option. Possibility of using fear as advantage."  
  
"Even if it was something cute?" Dan was deliberately winding him up now, and Rorschach knew it.  
  
"Would not be 'cute'." The assertion had all the finality of a death sentence.  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" He passed Rorschach another roll, satisfied. "I think I'd have to go for genderswapping, myself... and probably end up spending half the week in front of a mirror," he grinned.  
  
"Glad I didn't have to say it." Rorschach raised a pointed brow at Dan's unrepentant expression. His eyes narrowed slightly in speculation and then, inexplicably - "Owl or cat?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Owl or cat." Rorschach was suddenly very interested in his plate. "Prompt we saw. Which one?"  
  
"Oh!" Amazed that Rorschach was actually playing along, Dan thought for a moment. "I've already been an owl, I guess – including that were-owl thing. Guess I'll have to go with cat. And hope that Phantom still likes me," he added, popping a carrot slice into his mouth. "Hmm. Super powers, or giant robots?"  
  
"Super powers." Dan could have sworn he saw a gleam in his partner's eyes.   
  
"Me too, I think. Though giant robots are definitely appealing – much better than an exoskeleton!"  
  
"But more catastrophic in failure." Rorschach gave him a shrewd look. "Mn. Technology, or magic?"  
  
Dan was caught between dismay and enthusiasm. "That's a tough one - I like them both!" He leaned back, thinking. "I have to go with magic, though, just for the novelty of it. What about you?"  
  
" _Ehn_ ," he shrugged. "Both have advantages and dangers, require intelligence and means to properly use, both deadly in wrong hands. Not much difference beyond the cosmetic."  
  
"Just admit you'd go for magic too."  
  
Rorschach didn't contradict him.  
  
"What about... aliens, or cowboys?" As soon as he said it, both of them grimaced in memory and affirmed their answer as one:   
  
" _Cowboys._ "

 

***


	11. Chapter 11

The game continued through emptied plates and cleared dishes. They established that neither of them would mind having actual wings if it were possible, though both agreed sleeping comfortably could get tricky. Meeting up with their parallel selves was (cautiously) preferred over being turned into children. Dan figured out – only half jokingly - a quick shorthand of code phrases and gestures for them to identify each other in case of a bodyswap incident. Rorschach, for his part, came up with an impressively sound defensive plan in the event of a zombie breakout.  
  
"Well, if we're lucky, we won't have to worry about that, flamethrower or no." Dan took another plate from Rorschach to put into the drying rack and then paused. "Although adding some armor to our costumes wouldn't be a bad idea."  
  
Rorschach scoffed. "Uniform is fine."  
  
Dan stopped and turned to him. " _Oh_ , no – you and I have seen too many examples of things going wrong for me to back down on this, especially where you're concerned." Rorschach actually looked up from the sink, suds dripping from one hand where it had frozen in surprise. Dan's mouth twitched at the sight, but he pressed his advantage. "Seriously, man, we haven't even started yet, and I want to do this right. I'll figure out something lightweight - it won't slow you down, or even show." Head tilted, he thought for a moment. "Some kind of vest at the very least for you – it could be under or even _in_ the trench coat. Kevlar would be ideal, but god knows where we can get our hands on any. There might be something here we can start with, though, at least for me to make a proto... What?"  
  
"Nothing." Rorschach forced his attention to finishing their task once he realized he'd been staring.  
  
"No, what? What was that look?" He followed Rorschach away from the emptying sink, standing near him as he dried his hands. His partner looked sidelong at him, face grim as ever but – was that a flush?  
  
"You were... thinking. Planning." For a moment, Rorschach had the same look he'd had during their workout. "Remember it very well from. Before. "  
  
_Oh._ "Oh. Well..." Dan felt a flush of his own make its way across his cheeks. _That_ was certainly an interesting tidbit to file away. "I guess I'll have to do that more often, then." He smiled for a moment, and they continued putting things away in companionable silence.  
  
Rorschach looked at the array of cookware passing through their hands and refused to be embarrassed about the amount of food he consumed. It would have gone to waste if they hadn't eaten it, but... his partner had gone to a special effort preparing it for _his_ sake specifically. He wasn't used to that at all, but it had been... nice. As Daniel reached for the last plate he held onto it, making his partner glance over at him.  
  
"...Thank you, Daniel." Rorschach said at last, his voice without most of its gravel for once. "Was... very good."  
  
Dan beamed, and pulled Rorschach into a one-armed hug. "Thanks, buddy. I was hoping you weren't just being polite and not saying anything about it being awful."  
  
" _Hurm._ Am not 'polite'."  
  
"I know, man," The hug turned into a good-natured bump of Rorschach's shoulder. "It's one of the things I like about you. Sometimes, anyway."  
  
.  
  
They headed back the way they came, a bit slower than before. "Urgh..." Dan put a hand to his stomach. "I wouldn't say no to another workout session to work some of this off, but not for a little while at least. Sound ok?"  
  
Rorschach nodded, grimly suppressing a belch. "Agreed."  
  
"We can check the Sandbox for more inspiration – for our return home," he added with a smirk at Rorschach's double-take.  
  
"..."  
  
"C'mon, you of all people should appreciate out-of-the-box thinking. And besides, it's got some good information on preening you should know in case one of us gets turned into a Budgie."  
  
" _xnt._ "

. 

Back in the television room they opted to keep the screens off; their first glance told them nothing really new was being reported, and even Rorschach agreed the security systems were good enough to give them warning if anyone tracked their messages.  
  
"News wouldn't broadcast they'd found us until they were on doorstep anyway." He took his habitual place on Dan's right, one hand reaching automatically to scratch behind Bubastis' ear as he sat.  
  
"Now _there's_ a cheerful thought." Dan scooted his chair closer to his partner and got comfortable while the computer warmed up. "God, just how many entries in this thing have we seen by now?"  
  
"...Three thousand six hundred seventy. Give or take."  
  
Dan gawped, but his partner just shrugged.  
  
"Haven't actually _read_ that many. Only the ones about us."  
  
"Oh, good. That only makes for about _two_ thousand or so. I was worried for a second there."  
  
They scanned in silence, leaning nearly shoulder-to-shoulder.

  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Whoa. There's an interesting thought."  
  
"Would you have been Nite Owl if Mason had been a woman?"  
  
"I... yeah. If a, a Sixty-Three Hollis had the same basic personality and such - yeah, I really think I would."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Before you ask – no, I've never specifically noticed if you're blushing under the mask."  
  
"...good."  
  
"Which just means we'll have to research it later. For, you know, security."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hnh. Lobsters. Remember shoplifter who did that with frozen chicken?"  
  
"Oh, man, I do remember that. Even he admitted that was a stupid idea."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Invisible_. Didn't think of that."  
  
"That could be... awful. Or amazing."

  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Nh._ Would never want to - _forget_ \- like that."  
  
"I know, man. Just thinking about you not being... _you_. God. If there's more of that one, I don't know if I can take it."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Do _not_ start thinking of annoying ways to wake me up."  
  
"Was just going to tell you the same thing."  
  
"Pfft. We'd break each other's arms, wouldn't we?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Pilot seat has wrong proportions for that. Wrong height, pivots. Asking for trouble."  
  
"You seem to have put a lot of thought into the logistics for that sort of thing, you know."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"A daughter... wow. I wouldn't know the first thing to do."  
  
"Been a father multiple times, now."  
  
"Yeah, but those times were either weird sci-fi babies, or fostering, or adopting, or being married – That one's just me with... _my_ kid. Somehow that's -"  
  
"Scarier?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
*"Oh, holy god..."  
  
"..."  
  
Rorschach was frozen staring at the screen, feeling a lot like he'd been kicked in the stomach, and Daniel's expression looked as guiltily stricken as if he'd done the kicking.  
  
"I... Rorschach, god, I would never-!" Daniel shoved his chair aside to kneel near him, laying a cautious hand at his arm. Distantly Rorschach wondered what expression he must be showing to make his partner do that.  
  
"Buddy, hey, look at me." A large, familiar hand swam into view and he blinked as he felt gentle pressure at the side of his face.  
  
He wanted to say it didn't matter, that this was just another story, but what came out instead was "-Helped with dishes."  
  
Daniel seemed to understand, barking out a brief laugh with eyes that were a bit too bright. "And I'm working on getting back in shape, and I don't give a rat's ass where Leslie is. God, buddy, you scared me for a second." Daniel pulled him close for a moment, blocking the words on the screen from view, and the spell was broken.  
  
He let his own arms come up briefly at Daniel's back, swallowing away the tightness in his throat before leaning back again. "Apologies, Daniel. Am fine."  
  
"It's okay, man – that one knocked the wind out of me, too." He reached back for his chair, settling it next to Rorschach's again. "Some of these are written just a little _too_ well, you know?"  
  
Rorschach suppressed the shudder that threatened. "Agreed."  
  
"Whew..." Dan ran a distracted hand through his hair. "We have to find something that _isn't_ a tragedy before the end of the night, or I'm gonna be able to answer that prompt about nightmares."

  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _Hrn._ Giant alligators. Much better."  
  
" _Yes._ "  
  
  
* * *

 

" _HA!_ Omigod, that icon – is that an _egg_ done up like your mask?"  
  
" _Hurrm_."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" 'OFC'?"  
  
"I dunno. I guess – wait. Ah, 'original female character'."  
  
"Nice to see others as lost as we are with abbreviations."  
  
"Amen to that. Trying to figure them all out gives me a headache after a while."  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"...Wow. Imagine if she existed."  
  
"Maybe does somewhere. _Ennk_."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Whoa. Well, that's one way to give me 'alpha-dog' attributes, I suppose... Kind of disturbing how much detail there is in this one. I guess I never thought that much about being a werewolf."  
  
"..."  
  
"Er, you okay, buddy?"  
  
"Sh. Daniel. Reading."  
  
"...and they call _me_ kinky."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
" _OH_ no! No more sad ones, not now! I don't care if it is as far-fetched as zombies, we can't go there tonight."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Mn. Remember those slurs from scum when we were partners before."  
  
"Ugh, So do I. I always hated that."  
  
"Author's solution sounds like a good one. Will have to try it."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Sheesh, that's a relief – the author who killed you asked for something to make up for it."  
  
"Good to know it wasn't personal."  
  
"Aw, and they made you a daddy."  
  
" _Enk_."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Under _wher_ \-- aw, I can't believe I fell for that, haha! Wait – oh, they didn't..."  
  
" _Hurk --!_ What."  
  
" _snrk!_ I guess they did."  
  
Dan couldn't help it. He wasn't laughing _at_ Rorschach, not really – although his partner was grimly serious enough for him to know he should be wary regardless. He managed to school his features back into something more neutral, but then the image of that billboard with Rorschach sputtering in outraged whispers over a pay phone suddenly leapt to mind in defiance of all his survival instincts. As bubbles of helpless laughter kept fighting to break free, he almost convinced himself it would be worth it just to let the feeling go and indulge in the freedom his stifled mirth promised.  
  
Rorschach's sudden movement nearly startled it out of him anyway, but he choked it back just in time. At least, he was pretty sure he did. The look Rorschach shot him as he stood up told him maybe that squeak hadn't been only in his head.  
  
"What?" Dan tried for nonchalance, but he knew it was a lost cause. His partner stayed silent, just tilting his head in the way Dan had seen him do on patrol just before administering violence to some criminal. It was about as unsettling as he'd always imagined it would be from this end, he decided. He could tell Rorschach was irked at that last one and was expecting at the very least a scathing rebuke; maybe a vague (or not so vague) threat. What he _wasn't_ expecting was –  
  
"Thirty."  
  
"...huh?" Dan stared in befuddlement as his partner's features shifted into a faint smirk.  
  
"Twenty-seven."  
  
Dan's mind finally made the connection – ok, so he _hadn't_ kept that noise in his head.  
  
"Twenty-five."  
  
Shit. He could discuss Rorschach's thin skin with him later; apparently, they were doing more training and doing it _now_. He scrambled up, grinning perversely at the thought of being "hunted" by his partner with less than thirty seconds' head start. Choosing not to think about how messed up that was, he sprinted out of the room with his partner's calm, inexorable counting echoing behind him.

.

 

 _Thank god I'm wearing sneakers..._ Dan's footfalls were at least fairly silent, if not quite as fast as he'd have liked. He was ten seconds in and just barely to the kitchen – not nearly far enough. Rorschach was playing dirty and he really should have been more upset by that. He would have been, too, if there were enough time to really think about it. As it was, he knew he'd be lucky if - _ah, here we go._  
  
It was kind of a long shot, but Bubastis had proven to be quite the fan of Rorschach. Everywhere he went, she was never far away and would frequently fall into step right beside him. Dan hoped she'd stay true to pattern for this particular "game" and quickly snatched up one of her food containers, hurling it down to _splat_ right in the middle of the doorway as he pelted onward. It would give him away, but it might buy him some time.  
  
His agitation was mounting as his brain continued ticking off the seconds – where to go? The Vivarium might have been good, but Rorschach would likely catch him before he reached it. The gym was too obvious. Their rooms would be worst – too far, and a dead end besides. What about –  
  
"...Argh! _Cat-!_ "  
  
_Hah. Take **that**._ The satisfaction was petty, but undeniable. He was in amongst the artifacts and museum pieces now, and time was running out. Even with that little distraction, he knew he had to hurry up and get to a decent position.  
  
The next corner he rounded made him skid to an abrupt halt – somehow he'd wound up at the swimming pool. _Dammit!_ The wrong turn nearly had him thinking he'd lost for certain, until he saw a spot nearby he _might_ be able to reach. Throwing caution to the wind and jittering now with adrenalin, he clambered up to the narrow ledge and forced himself to settle down and wait.  
  
Rorschach didn't bother trying to be quiet in his approach, but he did pause before crossing the threshold of the pool area. Dan counted off endless seconds as they both held still, each listening for some sign of the other. At last he saw the bright flash of his partner's hair as he leaned just far enough to look into the room. By chance he glanced opposite Dan's position first, then froze as he sensed his partner and they both realized Dan would have had a clear shot at him.  
  
"Nicely done, Daniel." He turned, and Dan felt a ridiculous amount of pride at the approval that was plain in Rorschach's expression.  
  
Dan clambered down, pleased but still cautious. "I got lucky, that's all."  
  
" _Hrnh_. Luck is only good if used." Rorschach rolled his neck almost lazily, and Dan snapped to alertness once more. Apparently they were just getting started.  
  
Rorschach eyed the expanse of blue water sending up rippling reflections beside them. "Can you swim, Daniel?"  
  
"Wh- are you serious?"  
  
Rorschach just looked at him.  
  
Dan blinked, realizing they'd never had a case together that involved a body of water. "W-well, I won't be winning any Olympic medals anytime soon, but I can keep from drowning." He regarded his partner, about whom he knew so little in spite of their partnership. "Can _you_?"  
  
"Well enough." He began moving toward Dan, who quickly backed away.  
  
"Whoa, hey, wait a second –" Dan's hands went up and he started looking in vain for an exit. "You really - _wulp!_ \- want to - _hey!_ \- do this now?!" He quickly ducked another grab.  
  
"Been more than half an hour since we ate."  
  
"What??" God, he was really serious. "We don't even have sw- _aaaagpth!_ "  
  
One of Rorschach's strikes connected, sending Dan's center of gravity just far enough to overbalance him. Desperately snatching his glasses off, Dan regained the presence of mind as he fell to flail his other arm out, latching a one-handed death grip on Rorschach's shirt and dragging him into the swimming pool with him.  
  
The splash (and Dan's undignified shout) still echoed across the stone chamber as they surfaced. The water wasn't overly cold, but it was plenty uncomfortable seeping through clothing that wasn't intended for submersion.  
  
Rorschach seemed to be taking it all in stride, calmly treading water while Dan sputtered. "Nice to see reflexes not completely dulled from disuse, Daniel."  
  
"You're _crazy_ , man, you know that?!"

 

.

 

Dan was laughing despite his outrage. He was straining to kick, his shoes helping not at all underwater, and he could feel his underwear soaking through in a _really_ uncomfortable way.  
  
"Thought you said I wasn't." Calmly Rorschach ducked the worst of the splash Dan aimed at him.  
  
"I changed my mind, just now. You are an absolute nut. C'mere!" He swiped wildly, missing by a mile as Rorschach propelled himself backward, and scrambled to pursue.  
  
"These were good shoes, man!"  
  
"Even better if they can withstand water."  
  
"Oh, very funny!"  
  
He kicked as best he could, opting to keep moving rather than try to get his shoes off. Finally soaked through, his clothes became predictable in their weight and he found himself gaining a bit of speed. It turned out he was the stronger swimmer in spite of his weight and Rorschach was having to work to stay ahead of him, which suited Dan (and his sodden boxers) just fine. He figured it was about time he got a bit of advantage in these games.  
  
Which was exactly what they were, he knew full well. Rorschach might grumble about getting back in fighting form, but it didn't take a genius to see he was enjoying himself. He was almost like the awkward boy in school pulling on girls' pigtails, Dan reflected, and nearly drowned himself laughing at the image.  
  
They managed a few haphazard laps, during which Dan dredged up every swimming lesson he'd ever had as a kid to share what he knew. Rorschach was no slouch at swimming, but his technique was definitely of the "just keep your head above water" variety. As Dan suspected, he was a quick study, absorbing new information with typical efficiency and speculating possible combat applications with grim enthusiasm.  
  
"So where did you learn to swim?" They were at the shallower end now, with Dan trying to grapple Rorschach into a hold in the chest-deep water.  
  
"Charleton." Rorschach broke free and hopped back. "Not entirely voluntary." He propelled himself with arms and legs both in compensation for the disadvantage in height.  
  
Dan winced a bit in sympathy before lunging again. "That can't have gone well."  
  
"It didn't – for them."  
  
"Why am I not surprised? Wulp-!" Quickly he jumped clear as Rorschach shot underwater toward his knees. Using his momentum he threw himself under the surface just as Rorschach was resurfacing, pushing off the bottom of the pool and catching his friend around the waist on the way back up. _Ha!_ " Together they followed a short (and violent) arc back into the water, Rorschach's shout cut short into a quick gulp for air before they both splashed back down.  
  
Dan let him go immediately – the last thing he wanted was to compare to Rorschach's past experiences and he had his victory, as far as he was concerned. He came back up with a ridiculously pleased grin as he watched Rorschach bounce up with a determined minimum of sputtering.  
  
"Truce?" Dan's hands were up. "C'mon, man, I'm starting to feel waterlogged."  
  
Rorschach hrmphed. "May as well let you end on a high note."  
  
"And for that, I thank you." Dan sketched a bow and laughed, looking down at himself. "You're a horrible influence, I hope you know."  
  
"Part of my charm."

.

 

Their shoes made ridiculous squelching sounds as they rained miniature rivers behind them. "Eugh – it's actually worse getting _out_ of the water..." Dan gingerly peeled off his sodden button-down as they reached the gold-and-lapis-trimmed showers. A peek in a low, elegantly-appointed hamper revealed plush towels and bathrobes. "Here we go. I dunno if these'll f—"  
  
He turned, and completely forgot what he'd been about to say.  
  
"—niel."  
  
"Wha-?" He shook his head clear again. "Sorry. What?"  
  
Rorschach had jammed his hands into his pockets (no mean feat, considering their state) and a flush was creeping up toward his ears. "Were staring. Said your name twice."  
  
"Oh. Uh..." Somehow, Dan didn't think _Sorry, man, I was just ogling your abs_ would go over well – even if Rorschach really _was_ sporting a great wet t-shirt look at the moment. Then again... He remembered how engrossed Rorschach was in the story where Dan was being aggressive, even forward... granted, he'd been a _werewolf_ , but the thought was suddenly compelling. What if –  
  
Rorschach was still staring him down, looking as pugnacious as ever and it took everything Dan had in him to keep from fidgeting and apologizing like he normally did. Mustering his courage, he made himself step into Rorschach's personal space instead, close enough to make him take a half-step back. That alone made him think he was onto something.  
  
"Sorry," He managed to sound anything but, deliberately looking Rorschach over again. "I got caught up in the view for a second."  
  
Rorschach's mouth opened, then closed again. "Shouldn't let yourself be so easily distracted."  
  
Dan's eyebrows went up in mock innocence. "Oh, so you'd rather I was more _focused_?" He swooped in before he could think twice about it.  
  
Now _that_ was interesting... Dan was pretty sure he didn't make that noise, which left only Rorschach. He was running almost entirely on bravado and he knew it wouldn't last, but for now he was all right with the faint taste of chlorine from the warm spot just under Rorschach's earlobe and the satisfaction of finally - _finally_ \- seeing his partner look well and truly flustered.  
  
He allowed himself to gloat a little on the inside at the reaction he'd caused. It was only fair to push back every now and then, especially if it was going to be this rewarding. Still, he didn't miss the flicker of uncertainty in his partner's eyes, and he had to confess that his own confidence was reaching its limits.  
  
  
Rorschach opened his eyes as Daniel leaned back again, suppressing a shiver that he told himself was from still being soaked. "C'mon, buddy," Daniel's grin was a bit more familiar now. "Let's get cleaned up and into something dry." His expression still retained a good bit of mischief as he handed over the ridiculous set of linens and headed into a shower. "See you in a few."  
  
He listened to the rustle and _splat_ of clothes hitting the floor for several seconds before heading into the other enclosure.  
  
.  
  
Dan had to stifle a laugh when he emerged to meet his partner. The robes were of one size; his own was a bit snug, but comfortable enough. Rorschach, by comparison, was practically swimming in the luxurious garment. He'd wrapped it rather vehemently as far as it would go, and the belt ties dangled almost to his knees from being pulled so tight. Even with his arms crossed, it was obvious the sleeves were swallowing his hands, and the spiky disarray of his red hair only served as an exclamation point over the whole ensemble.  
  
"Purple's a good color on you, man."  
  
" _Hrmph._ " Rorschach deliberately left his bundle of clothes for Dan to pick up and headed for their room.  
  
Dan decided it'd be best not to let him know how nice a view Rorschach was giving him with his robe wrapped that tightly.

.

 

Sodden clothing dealt with, Dan headed to the guest rooms. While he'd been dealing with laundry, Rorschach had comfortably settled in with his notes – which were approaching a novella by now – on the bed. Bubastis lay sprawled next to him supervising the proceedings with one softball-sized paw resting at his knee. She stretched indolently at Dan's approach, rolling over to catch her claws gently in his robe's hem.  
  
"Busy?" Gingerly he freed himself while Rorschach grunted something noncommittal.  
  
"Putting notes in order. Have been lax." Outlines, printouts, and impromptu glossary terms were being carefully placed in an arrangement that made complete sense to their creator, though the glimpse Dan got of them left him wondering exactly what connection there was between a diagram of Moloch's apartment and the so-called "zombieverse".  
  
He was just about to offer to help when Bubastis offered her own input by sitting up and deliberately placing her paw squarely in the middle of the papers still sitting on Rorschach's lap. It was a mark of his absorption that he came within an instant of simply shoving it out of his way before catching himself. Even so, he engaged her in a brief staring match before _very_ slowly setting his notes aside, just to prove it had been _his_ decision.  
  
"I guess we're done with that for now." Dan's grin was suddenly split by a yawn he hadn't been expecting. "Ugh, I can't tell anymore if I'm tired or not... I guess having daylight all the time will do that."  
  
Rorschach glanced over at the bedside clock. "Mnh, late. Should probably turn in."  
  
"Yeah." Muffling another yawn, Dan considered just shucking his robe and getting under the covers. It would be _comfortable_ , a wicked corner of his mind insisted, but he knew he'd never get away with it. He was still glad he'd actually been wearing pajamas that morning Rorschach had chosen to show up...  
  
He turned to sift through his remaining pile of civilian wear, sighing a bit. Their scant belongings in the luxurious room gave the surreal air of a vacation, and he was struck by just how far from home they were. He suddenly missed the streets they used to patrol - nights fueled by coffee and adrenalin, permeated with the smells of damp concrete, late-night greasy spoons, and rubbish. He grabbed a few things and straightened, looking over to his friend, "Y'know, I've gotta say - even if we didn't have a limited food supply, I think I'd want to leave here just to be able to experience _night_ again."  
  
Rorschach nodded as he gathered his notes back together. "Agreed. Twice removed from natural habitat here."  
  
Dan blinked. "You're right, I hadn't thought about it like that. Speaking of which," he gestured to Bubastis, "What about her? We can't just leave her here." He ran a hand through his still-damp hair as he thought. "I guess we'll have to check out zoos, in case Jon doesn't come."  
  
Bubastis _mrrr_ -ed from the bed, and Rorschach ran a hand down the stripes on her shoulder, grumbling "He'd better."  
  
His partner's concern, though gruff, was touching in a way Dan wouldn't have fully appreciated before. Knowing that both of them had been supposed to die sent an unpleasant chill through him, and made him all the happier to see them both safe and - _mostly_ \- getting along together. After a few seconds he realized he was standing there staring like an idiot and shook those thoughts free, tucking the clothes he'd grabbed under one arm.  
  
"Be right back," he headed for the bathroom to change as another yawn overtook him. "Don't hog all the blankets while I'm gone."

 

.

  
  
When he returned, his partner lay in bed with his hands folded over his chest, frowning up at the ceiling.  
  
Dan crawled under the covers, careful not to disturb him. "What's on your mind?"  
  
"Been thinking. Moloch's apartment was likely watched – not just by police."  
  
"You think Adrian had surveillance there?" He considered the complexity of what they'd discovered of Veidt's plans. "That would make sense."  
  
"Not just that." Rorschach's frowned deepened. "Wouldn't have given the job to someone else – would have meant letting them in on his plans if he did. Not exactly the sort of thing the owner of Veidt Industries should be interested in. Would have needed complete control." He glanced over at Dan. "Would have wanted to see for himself."  
  
Dan caught his breath at the realization. "You think he had cameras on it?"  
  
"Well within his capabilities."  
  
"And if he did, and didn't let anyone else in on it, they could still be there." Dan was already taking a mental stock of the equipment they'd need. "We'd need to find the footage too, though. There's a chance it wound up here, but it might still be at Veidt Industries."  
  
"Would be very interested in finding out." Rorschach's posture was still relaxed, but his eyes burned.  
  
Dan's heart skipped a beat, and not for the first time he was thankful to be able to finally _see_ his partner's expressions. "You and me both."  
  
"Will be risky. Police and Veidt's security to get past."  
  
"Yeah." Dan's grin was practically feral. "Should be fun."  
  
Something in Rorschach's eyes flickered, and abruptly he rolled toward him. For an instant Dan wondered if they were going to kiss, but Rorschach only stared, looking for something in his features before slowly bringing a hand up. It hovered for a moment near the side of Dan's face, in the periphery of his vision. A touch more gentle than he would have expected finally landed to cup the back of his skull, and Rorschach leaned forward to gently bump their foreheads together. Shocked, Dan watched his partner's eyes flutter closed in the small space between them.  
  
He swallowed the lump that sprang to his throat, returning the gesture. Rorschach's hand at his head tightened fractionally and he took an audible inhale, and then they leaned away again to lie a while in comfortable silence. The events of the day finally caught up to them in the stillness, making their eyes heavy, and Dan reached to switch off the remaining lamp while Rorschach rolled onto his back again.  
  
In the dark, Dan turned back to face his partner and decided to risk resting his hand on his shoulder as he settled. His fingers remained intact, so he let them stay there. "We can search the computers for more evidence in the morning, maybe take stock of Archie."  
  
He felt Rorschach nod. "Good to be prepared."  
  
"We'll need to figure out a home base. I don't want to lose Archie if we don't need to, but refueling and hiding him is going to be interesting."  
  
"Know a few places we can use, at least for a while."  
  
"That's a start. It'd probably be wise to look for something outside the city, too. Money shouldn't be a problem if we're careful, and we can work on our appearances between here and home." Plans and questions tried to struggle past his drowsiness, but with little success. He yawned again. "God, how did our villain selves manage to get set up so well?"  
  
"Stole. Murdered. Built death rays."  
  
"Oh yeah. Damn the luck."

Rorschach turned away, and Dan would have thought it was a dismissal except he matter-of-factly brought Dan's hand from his shoulder to his side as he moved so it wouldn't slip away. It was done without fanfare, almost as though they'd slept like this for ages, except they never had and Dan could feel the tension that practically thrummed beneath his fingers.  
  
This... _whatever_ it was, seemed to catch in fits and starts between them, and at the oddest times. There seemed to be no way to predict what his – friend? It seemed they were past that point, but "lover" certainly wasn't the correct term – would do next, or even wanted. Caught between wanting to move even closer and not wanting to press an obviously uncertain issue, Dan tried to borrow some confidence from the concealment and quiet of their darkened room.  
  
"...Hey Rorschach?"  
  
"Mn?"  
  
"I just-" he swallowed, making himself leave his hand where it was. He'd been _invited_ to have it there, dammit. "I wanted to ask... You're okay? With, y'know, us?"  
  
There was a brief incredulous noise. "Asking me this _now_?"  
  
The exasperation in Rorschach's voice startled a laugh out of Dan. "Well, I know we – I mean, you just never seemed into..." he trailed off, but added, "In _either_ direction, really."  
  
Rorschach's head tilted toward him slightly. "True."  
  
Dan tried not to move a muscle, marveling that they were even having this conversation. "I guess I'm just curious. What...changed your mind?" He huffed a short laugh. "Aside from the overwhelming number of arguments from our 'friends', that is?"  
  
His words were light, but Rorschach was considering them seriously. "World has changed, Daniel. Still full of corruption, still needs us to fight it. But has also become something different. More... hopeful." His head turned to rest against his pillow again. "Armageddon is farther away."  
  
Dan finally pulled him into a hug at that, happy beyond reason. "Yeah. I know what you mean." His arms relaxed but didn't let go, and Rorschach did nothing to move away. Unconsciousness started to seep into Dan's mind, slow and comfortable, but he was just awake enough for one last thought to surface.  
  
"How long have you--?"  
  
"Likely as long as you."  
  
"...God, we're idiots."  
  
" _Hurm_."

.  
  
  
Waking was a luxurious process all its own after the previous night. It began with the awareness of Rorschach still pulled close, miracle of miracles, with perfect silence and warmth surrounding them both. Dan sighed, sleepily nestling closer and savoring the feel of having someone in his arms, inhaling the faint scent of the soap Rorschach had used, smiling at the faint tickle of his partner's hair. He hummed, nuzzling close, gradually opening his eyes to see the faint blue glow of  
  
"NYAAAAAGH!"  
  
Jon stood at the foot of their bed, smiling faintly.  
  
Rorschach never moved. "Been standing there for three minutes. Should have known he'd be a voyeur." His sleep-roughened rumble held a hint of annoyance, and as Daniel continued convincing his heart to stay in its ribcage, he opened one eye to fix a pointed glare at Jon.  
  
"About time you got here."

.

 

Jon's smile remained unaltered as they sat up, although he looked more distracted than usual.  " _My apologies. I was exploring a parallel universe and didn't immediately notice your efforts._ "

Both comments earned a raised eyebrow from both men in the bed, though Dan was much more interested in the main point. He fumbled his glasses onto his nose. "Any one in particular?"

Jon paused momentarily, but gave no other indication of his reaction at their seeming lack of surprise at his words. " _A pre-industrial Earth whose laws of physics are shifted along the quantum plane toward what would be considered 'magic' in this universe. The neutrinos in that world actually move in fractal patterns._ " His head tilted wistfully as he described it. " _It was breathtaking._ "

"Magic... there wasn't a floating blue emperor there, was there?" Dan was only half-joking.

Jon looked at him, vaguely surprised. " _He said you'd know him, but he didn't say how._ "

Rorschach glanced at Dan. "Long story."

"Literally," Dan laughed a bit giddily. "But - wow, it  _exists_. That's..."

"Unsettling."

"Fan _tas_ tic!" Dan's brain caught up with his enthusiasm after a moment and he considered some of the other places they'd read about. "...and, yeah. Unsettling." There was more than one universe, he realized, that he'd rather  _not_ visit – or… "Uh. There aren't any other Dr. Manhattans we need to worry about visiting  _us_ , are there?"

Jon considered. " _Generally, no. Two years from now, there is a general agreement among versions of myself that pan-universal exploration should have as little impact as possible._ "

"That's… mostly reassuring. I guess." Suddenly Dan remembered, "Hey – I guess we should stop cranking up the tachyon levels now…"

" _There's no immediate need. They seem to be flowing between dimensions in a much more orderly fashion this time. It actually made the return from my explorations easier._ "

Rorschach cleared his throat. "Fascinating discussion." He looked up at Jon, hands clenching in the blankets still covering them while he refused to blush. "Have a few other things to talk to you about.  Mind giving us a moment?"

" _Of course. We are in the Vivarium with Laurie in approximately seven hours; I shouldn't keep you._ " He obligingly vanished, leaving the other two to take in each other's equally dumbfounded expressions.

" _Ennk._ "

"To say the least!"

 

.

 

They dressed in a hurry, though Dan might have taken an extra minute or two on his clothing's appearance. He looked over at his partner, a little unnerved in the way that only Jon could inspire in others, but otherwise relieved. "Well, looks like that's one issue taken care of, at least."

Rorschach nodded. "Only a few hundred to go."

"Don't I know it!" Dan was already trying to figure out how the three of them would hold up in Archie (and how long Rorschach and Laurie could last without going for each other's throats.) "So, how should we plan to go back? Much as I'd love to, I don't think we can just park Archie back in the Owl's Nest and see if my fridge has anything in it. Although…"he thought for a moment, "I think I remember Hollis saying he had a friend with a junkyard for sale in New Jersey – Tudbury, or something, I think his name was."

Rorschach shrugged. "Can start there. What about cat?  _Oof._ " The aforementioned feline rumbled happily as she greeted them in the corridor.

"Well," Dan laughed a little, "Laurie told me once that she'd wanted to work with animals when she was little…"

" _Hnh_. " He scratched her forehead briefly. "Interesting way to get wish."

They walked together through the media room, where a quick glance at the screens showed cautiously optimistic – if still puzzled – reports, now with a smattering of their photos as their message was increasingly being distributed.  They were fugitives planning a return to the very city where they were being hunted, they had proof of alternate universes, and somehow while avoiding capture they were going to have to explain all of this to Laurie.

"Think you're ready for this, Daniel?"

Dan looked to his partner, and then out of the corner of his eye he caught a flicker on the nearby computer. He grinned, watching yet another page blink into existence as they passed.

 

"I can't wait."

 

 

- _fin_ -

**Author's Note:**

> \- I began this sequel back in July of 2010. It ground to a halt in 2012, and it took from last year to this to finish it. Any bizarre gaps and/or goofs are the result of the poor thing sitting unfinished for a good two years before I got off my ass to finish it. _*shakes head at self*_
> 
> Also, just FYI - in the universe of this story, the _prompts_ for it do not exist. I actually made an attempt at it (... _"Don't click that one. Bad feeling." "You too, huh? Glad I'm not the only one."_... ) but it just started making weird Escher-shapes in my head like looking into an infinity of reflections in a hall of mirrors. _So._ Somewhere out there is an alternate universe in which the Watchmen Kinkmeme exists minus two prompts. ;P ]


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